1st Annual Hunger Games
by DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories
Summary: 24 tributes go into an arena to fight to the death with no help, no guidence, just their own instinct. Let The 1st Annual Hunger Games Begin! Read and Review!
1. The Presdients News

Panem stood in silence and gazed at the big screens which had been placed in each of the districts. President Maximotius Snow appeared on the screen to give an important message which was being brought live from the Capitol.

"Citizens of Panem, after the rebellion I decided things needed to change. So because of this, I have created the Hunger Games. This is where one young man and woman between the ages of 12-18 from each district will be put against each other to fight to the death in an arena until there is one lone victor. This victor will be given their own house in the victor's village and riches for themselves and their families and food for their district. The reapings will happen a year from today. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour"

The screens went dark and Panem stayed silent.


	2. District 1 Reaping

_Loki Braveheart , District 1 Male_

I wake up to the sound of quiet sobbing. I sit up and look around worriedly,

"Nari?" I call out.

My younger sister peers around my bedroom door, tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong?" I say as kindly as possible seeing as I've just been woken up early. Nari drops her head and looks at the floor, her messy blonde pigtails covering her face.

"What if I get reaped Loki? I'm not strong and brave like you; I would never survive the Hunger Games!"

I had forgotten, the reaping was today. The reaping which sent two of us from each district to fight to our death; and I was partly the reason for it. I fought in the rebellion which is mostly the reason for the cruel invention of the Hunger Games. Nari covered her face with her hands and started sobbing again. She was right, she was only thirteen, and she would never survive the games. She wasn't used to fighting or violence like I was; and I didn't want her experiencing it either.

"It will be ok" I promised; and I meant it.

I would never let my little sister; the only thing I've ever loved truly into those disgusting games, even if it cost me my own life.

I climb out of bed and walk to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and run my hand through my long platinum blonde hair. I have shining blue eyes and tanned skin and I have to admit, I am very good looking. I freshen up and then walk back to my room. On my bed lays my reaping outfit, I put on the smart black trousers and dark blue dress shirt which my Mother has laid out for me. The shirt clings to my body and highlights my muscles. I put on some smart black shoes and walk downstairs. My family are all sitting at our large kitchen table. My Mother and Father sit side by side and opposite them is Nari. I sit down next to Nari and put some toast on my plate. We all sit in silence until my Father speaks up,

"So... today's the day; right?" Nari and I both nod.

"Are you worried?" My Mother says quietly.

Ever since the rebellion she acts very nervous and doesn't speak much. Nari lets out a slight whimper and I just shrug.

"I've only got this year that I can be reaped and then I will turn 19 and I won't have to worry".

"You're so lucky" Nari says with an almost jealous look on her face.

My father then says "Well we better leave for the reaping; we don't want to be late!" We all walk out of the house towards the town square.

_Mercy Breen District 1 Female_

_I run through the streets of District 1. "Griffin... GRIFFIN!" I call out my brother's name but I can't seem to reach him. The faster I run the further away he gets. "Stop Griffin stop!" He never does. I suddenly stop as I watch his face change into a look of terror. A man from the capitol stands before him; pointing a gun at his head. "Please don't shoot" Griffin whispers. I scream but they don't seem to hear me. "NO STOP!" It's too late; the man pulls the trigger, shooting a bullet through my brother's head. Griffin collapses to the floor in a heap and I am left to watch._

I wake up with sweat dripping down my face and soaking my clothes. I curl up under the covers and start to cry. I have the same dream every night; but the problem is this dream was once real. I really did have to watch my brother die; and it was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. This reoccurring nightmare haunts my dreams, reminding me my brother was murdered. He had been in the rebellion fighting for certain rights, and the horrible capitol took him away from me. I had supported the capitol throughout the war but now I despise them.

I climb out of bed and go to the bathroom to shower. Once I'm done I walk back to my room where a light purple dress has been left on my bed. I remember; the reaping is today. I put on the dress which falls to my knees and I also put on some silver flats. I walk to my mirror and brush my elbow length, light blonde hair. I tie my hair into two pig tails and put some eye liner on to highlight my green eyes. The purple dress makes my lightly tanned skin look almost golden, and I have to say; I look rather nice. I look at the time, I've only got ten minutes till the reaping, and being late is unacceptable. I call out goodbye to my parents.

"I'll see you after the reaping" I rush out of the door towards the town square.

_Loki Braveheart , District 1 Male_

We reach the square and I hug my parents and Nari.

"You'll be fine" I say reassuringly.

I head over to the eighteen year olds section and start talking to some friends. In what seems like seconds a woman from the capitol with dark blue hair and dyed light blue skin walks up onto the stage. I always wonder why they want to look so ridiculous. Her high pitched voice echoes through the square.

"Welcome District 1 to the first annual reaping for the Hunger Games!"

The crowd stays silent except for a few murmurs from the crowd. She then shows us a clip of images of the rebellion and a message from the president.

"Now we must pick the brave male and female who will represent District 1; Ladies first!"

She walks over to a large glass bowl and puts her hand in and mixes the cards which decide some ones fate. She then picks one and walks back over to the microphone.

"Mercy Breen"

A gasp comes from the crowd and a few cries from the female section; this girl must have been popular. Then suddenly I realise. _Breen. _The name sounds familiar. I miss the girl walking up to the stage but when I see her I know where I recognise her. The same blonde hair and green eyes of my old friend who I had fought with in the rebellion. _Griffin_. I remember seeing Mercy at his funeral. I remember her eyes looking dark and full of sorrow. I'm awoken from the memory as the escort is about to read the male tributes name out.

"Loki Braveheart".

No. This can't be happening. Not me. I'm frozen in shock but then I realise there are probably many cameras filming me so I make myself look big and strong and march up to the stage.

"No Loki you can't go!" Nari's cries disrupt the silence.

"Please, don't go!"

I carry on walking and don't look back. I reach the stage and give one of the cameras a daring look.

"Any volunteers" The escort asks.

No-one speaks. Of course not, why would they volunteer for an eighteen year old or even the actual games.

"Well... I guess we have our tributes Mercy Breen and Loki Braveheart".

I shake Mercy's hand, but give her a reassuring smile; we don't have to be enemies yet.

_Mercy Breen District 1 Female_

I reach the square and run over to the 17 year olds section. I hug all my friends and tell them they'll be alright, even though I could never be sure. It turns out I've missed the beginning speech but I'm not bothered.

"Ladies first" our strange looking escort announces.

I realise I'm shaking. Please don't be me, please don't be me.

"Mercy Breen"

I hear my parents' gasps and the friends around me's cries. I slowly walk up to the stage still shaking. What will happen in the arena? Do I even stand a chance? I feel tears starting to prick in my eyes but I stop them. I can't look weak. I reach the stage and the escort asks for volunteers. Like I guessed no-one does. Who'd volunteer for the games? She then announces the male tribute.

"Loki Braveheart"

When he reaches the stage as well I recognise him. He was Griffins friend. I know he's not really as tough as people think, I've seen him with his sister. He obviously loves her more than anything. I remember him at Griffins funeral too; he seemed really upset to see his friend go. The escort then announces,

"Well... I guess we have our tributes Mercy Breen and Loki Braveheart".

Loki shakes my hand and gives me a reassuring smile. I give a small smile back and we walk to the justice building where my parents must say goodbye to another child.

I walk into a room in the justice building. It suits our district well. Very luxury. Its styled slightly like our living room at home. I sit on one of the plush seats and wait for my parents. They both burst through the door. My Mother's crying and my Father's got a solemn look on his face. Just how he looked at Griffins funeral. They both wrap their arms around me and we stand hugging each other in silence. My Father takes a silver ring off his finger and presses it in my hand.

"It was your brothers" he says.

I smile at him.

"Thanks Dad".

He carries on, "Now listen, I don't know what's in that arena but I do know you're capable of winning. You're fast and strong. You're smart enough to know how to survive. You can do this."

"It's time to go" A peacekeeper says.

I hug them one last time and they walk out the door, and this time I see my dad has tears in his eyes. I slide the ring on my finger. They won't be losing another child again.

_Loki Braveheart, District 1 Male_

I sit waiting for my family in the justice building. Nari and my parents walk through the door. Nari runs at me and I crouch down and hug her.

"You can't go" She whispers.

"I have too" I reply. "And listen, I need you to be brave for me ok?"

"Ok" she whimpers.

I let go of her and hug my parent's goodbye. They give me a golden pocket watch as my token. It must be a family airloom; made of pure gold apparently. We all stand hugging until the peacekeeper tells them they need to leave. Nari hugs me one more time.

"Good luck Loki, I love you"

"I love you too Nari, and remember, be brave for me"

She smiles and runs to catch up with my parents. I sit down and cry for the last time before I go into the games; I will have to leave everything I love behind me to stay strong.


	3. District 2 Reaping

_Araluen Osman, District 2 Male_

"Mandu give it back!"

"Ha-ha you can't reach it,"

"Please Mandu I need it!"

I open my eyes slightly to see my younger brother Mandu standing on a high stool in my room. He's teasingly holding his twin sister Miah's hairbrush above his head so there is not even a chance she could grab it.

"Can you two keep it down," I grumble, "I'm trying to get some sleep!"

"Mum says you have to get ready for the reaping anyway," Mandu shouts.

It can't be the reaping already? I quickly jump out of bed and start to gather my things to change in.

"Give it back!" Miah cries, tears forming in her eyes from frustration.

"Just give it back Mandu," I say. I pick him up by his legs and hang him over my shoulder like a bag of flour. They both laugh and his hands are now in reach for Miah to take her hairbrush back.

"Thanks Araluen, you're the best!" She smiles at me and then sticks her tongue out at Mandu.

I put Mandu down and he runs off probably to annoy his sister some more. As much as they can be annoying, I would miss them without a doubt if I had to leave them or if they had to leave me. At least they are only eight so neither could be reaped today; but there was still a chance I could. I go to the bathroom to freshen up and then head back to my room to get changed. I put on my smartest brown trousers, a nice black top and I slip on some black shoes. I run my hand through my black hair so it falls nicely over my forehead slightly covering my brown eyes. I run downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Hi Mum," I call.

She looks at me and smiles.

"You look so handsome, just like your Father,"

My Father passed away when the twins were only two and I was twelve. They don't remember him but I do. He was a tall man with black hair and warm brown eyes, and my mother was right; I do look like him a lot. I take after him with my personality too, caring, calm, out-going and like to be around the ones I love. The twins take after my Mother, Brown hair, blue eyes and their all loud and like me out-going.

"Thanks Mum," I smile back and pull her into a hug.

"I don't know what I'd do without you Araluen," She whispers.

We both pull away and she leaves the quiet kitchen to the loud living room where my siblings are. I hear them all laugh which is a sound I love to hear. Since my Dad died my Mum rarely laughs anymore.

"Come on everyone we have to go to the reaping now or were going to be late!" She shouts.

We all walk out the door towards the reaping.

_Micah Flay, District 2 Female_

"88,89,90, Come on Micah keep punching your nearly finished,"

My Dad holds a punching bag in front of me saying each time I should punch. I do this every morning and other exercises because my Dad thinks I should be strong and able to fight. Ever since they announced the reaping last year my Dad's been even more motivated to train me to be able to win and because I'm 18 he wants me to volunteer for the only year I'm eligible; this year.

"That's it you've done 100 you can stop," He says.

I stop punching and go to get a drink. My body aches from the hours of training.

"You can go get ready for the reaping soon, remember to look your best; a lot of cameras will be there when you volunteer, but before do thirty press-ups. I expect Janice will have breakfast on the table in about ten minute," He smiles at me and then walks out of the room.

I do thirty press-ups and then go upstairs to have a shower; the cool water calms my aching body. I get out and go to my room to get ready. I put on a light green dress which has sequins sewn on the chest part of the dress and then it flows into light fabric down to my knees. I put on a diamond necklace with matching earrings and walk over to my full length mirror to do my hair. I clip my long, curly brown hair which is in perfect spirals to the side with a white clip. I comb my fringe which comes over my forehead and ends just over my perfectly arched eyebrows. I put some 2 inch white heels on which are unneeded as I'm very tall anyway but they go perfect with my outfit and then look at myself one more time in the mirror. My dress goes nicely with my tanned skin and it shows off my muscular build but also my curves. When I'm happy with how I look I walk downstairs for breakfast.

My family are sitting at our dining table. My Father is sitting next to Janice who smirks when I walk in. When my mother died when I was 9 in an accident at one of the factory's where some weaponry is made, my brother, my three sisters and I were distraught. We didn't know how we would survive without our loving Mother. My Father obviously wasn't too upset because he married Janice soon after. Sitting opposite my Dad is my brother Tim who is 27, next to him is my sister Anna who is 21, then my younger sister Amber who is 15 and then my younger sister Shanell who is 10. Next to Janice sits her sons Maxwell who is 6 and Joseph who is 3. We are a very big family and were about to get bigger because Janice is pregnant with her new little angel Josaphina. I sit down next to Shanell, trying to avoid sitting next to my step- brothers.

"We were just saying, Micah, how you're going to be a great tribute and victor," My dad announces proudly.

"You look beautiful by the way," Tim says, my sisters nod in agreement.

I blush, "Thank you."

We all eat some breakfast and listen to a story Maxwell is telling which makes no sense at all but Janice acts like it is amazing.

"My little boy is so smart, don't you agree?" She boasts.

We all nod in a sarcastic manner except for my Dad who acts the same as Janice. She annoys me when she makes him act like this. Like a puppet on a string that she's controlling.

We all finish breakfast and then all nine of us pile out the door towards the reaping.

_Araluen Osman, District 2 Male_

We reach the reaping and I hug my family goodbye and tell them I'll meet them after. I walk over to the eighteen year olds section and start talking to a few friends not even acknowledging that two of us in this crowd will soon be sent to our deaths. We wait for a bit and then a woman with bright orange and red hair walks on the stage. Must be our escort from the capitol.

"Welcome District 2 to the first annual hunger games, here is a message brought to you from the capitol."

We watch a short clip with pictures from the rebellion and then a message from the president. The escort walks over to the microphone once it is finished.

"Now to pick our tributes, I think we'll pick the male first!" She says this with excitement but everyone just groans at how her voice screeches around us. She walks over to a large glass bowl and puts her hand in to mix the cards around. She quickly picks one and wanders back over to the microphone.

"Araluen Osman"

She just picked me. Araluen Osman. That's my Name. The crowd looks at me and clears a path for me to walk through. I slowly walk up to the stage and the escort pulls me towards the microphone.

"Any volunteers?" She screeches.

The crowd is silent. Like I expected. I look around for my mother, brother and sister. I find my mother crying and her arms wrapped around Mandu and Miah who are also crying. I didn't realise they knew how bad this actually was. The escort then walks over to the other side of the stage to pick the female tribute.

"Lea Macbeth"

A small, skinny girl walks up to the stage crying. She obviously wasn't expecting this to happen and I feel slightly sorry for her. The escort asks for any volunteers and there is silence, poor thing. Then suddenly, a girl in the eighteen year old section raises her hand and shouts,

"I volunteer!"

She runs up to the stage in and over to me and the escort. Lea looks at her thankfully and wobbles off the stage.

"Ooh a volunteer! What is your name?"

"Micah Flay" she announces proudly; giving a winning smile to the crowd.

Micah is definitely nice looking, with a curvy but muscular figure; the capitol men will love her.

"Well, here are our tributes, Araluen Osman and Micah Flay!" Some of the crowd cheers and we are led off to the justice building.

"Araluen!" my brother and sister say in chorus, running into the room I have been waiting in.

My Mother follows, her cheeks wet where she has been crying. I go to comfort her but she stops me.

"Listen Araluen, you need to concentrate now. You can do this, you're big and strong and you're smart; you can win this!"

I nod convincingly. She obviously didn't see that girl who volunteered.

We all hug and say goodbye. They all cry again but I try not to, I can't look weak. The peacekeeper tells them they have to leave and they go to walk out the door.

My mother then quickly says, "Oh I almost forgot, you're allowed to take a token into the arena with you, so I thought you would like to take your fathers lucky coin."

I look at the shiny gold coin. I remember my father giving me this and saying _it will always bring you luck_.

I really hope he was right.

_Micah Flay, District 2 Female_

I reach the square and join the other eighteen year olds. I stand in silence waiting and then the escort for our district with hideous hair walks onto the stage. She shows us a clip from the capitol and then she picks the male tribute. An eighteen year old boy walks onto the stage called Araluen Osman. Then she walks over to the other side of the stage and picks the girls name. A girl called Lea Macbeth walks to the stage crying. The escort asks,

"Any volunteers?"

I'm too busy looking at the poor girl Lea. _Maybe I'm making a mistake? _I snap out of that thought because I realise I'm supposed to be volunteering.

"I volunteer!" I shout.

I run up to the stage pretty good for someone who's in heels and stand next to the escort.

"Ooh a volunteer! What is your name?"

"Micah Flay" I announce proudly.

I look at my district partner. He looks like he could be hard to beat in a fight, but not for me.

"Well, here are our tributes, Araluen Osman and Micah Flay!" Some of the crowd cheers and we are led off to the justice building.

My father walks into the room I am in with my brother and three sisters.

"Well done Micah!" He smiles at me. I have made him proud.

I hug my siblings but I realise that Janice is missing,

"Where's the gold digger then? Not even come to say goodbye?" I whisper sarcastically to Amber.

"Gone to buy new clothes for herself and her darling boys seeing as there will be cameras around now that you have volunteered," She replies laughing slightly.

My dad walks over to me and hands me a small box. When I open it there is a bracelet inside. Engraved on it says my name and on the back is my birth date and a little bit of stone from my district.

"Thanks dad I love it!" I give him one last hug before he leaves.

"I knew you would, I thought it could be your token"

"I'll see you all when I come back as victor," I say smiling.

They all smile back and leave the room. I repeat my last words over in my head. _When I come back as victor._


	4. District 3 Reaping

_Lin Jacobs, District 3 Male_

I lay in bed thinking about what today has to come. Today is the reaping and today is where two innocent kids just like me will be sent into a fight to the death. To be honest I find it pretty stupid and illogical because sending 24 children to their death is not going to stop people from hating the president and the capitol. But hey-ho; if that's how they want to be.

I look across the room at my older brother Bane; he is still sleeping soundly and seems to show no signs of waking up any time soon. I always wonder how he can be so lazy but so smart. He's so different from my older sister Kenzie; she's eighteen and only three years older than Bane but she's always on the go and constantly thinking about a new idea. Kenzie works with both my parents at the districts main power plant. My parents have very high ranked jobs and Kenzie has just started out and yet we still haven't much money. Don't get me wrong; we can survive easily, but to support all the family Bane now has to get a job there too. I would as well, but I am only twelve so I'm way too young; and power plants are dangerous, _I should know._

I climb out of my bunk bed I share with my younger sister Jaylin who is 8. She is also sound asleep; I don't see why not, she doesn't have to worry about the reaping. Like I guessed, Kenzie's bed is empty; she probably got bored doing nothing as she doesn't have to go to work today because of the reaping. Everyone gets the day off today including my parents. It will be nice having them round for a few hours. I quietly creep out of my room trying not to wake anyone and walk down stairs. My parents sit in our small living area with Kenzie. They are all talking about an experiment in the power plant. Even when they're not in work there talking about work. I sit on an empty chair and they don't even seem to notice I've come in. I try to listen intently to their conversation but I will never be able to understand what their talking about. I'm not _that_ smart.

"Hi Lin I didn't even realise you had woken up," says my mother in a calm, sweet voice.

"Are you nervous for today?" Kenzie asks, I can tell by the look on her face she is.

"Kind of," I say, my voice is barely audible.

"Well don't you worry about it, you'll be fine," Adds my father.

I just look down and don't say another word. I prefer to stay quiet, it stops me from saying something stupid or something I will regret.

"Well, I better go get ready for the reaping and you should too Lin," Kenzie says.

"Wake your lazy brother and sister while you're there too," my father laughs jokingly, his bright white teeth standing out against his dark skin.

I laugh too and run up the stairs to wake up Bane and Jaylin. All four of us start getting ready, we all run around chaotically trying to find something to wear except for Jaylin who calmly wanders round without a care. I look in my clothes draw and find some kakis bottoms and a short sleeved, light green button down shirt which is presentable and I match it with some brown shoes. I use a comb to calm down my curly light brown hair and walk over to a mirror to see if I look ok. My long scars on my arms show up even on my dark skin. My skin is mixed of white and black as my mother is white and my father is black. I try to cover up my scars whenever possible ever since they were made during a power plant explosion but it is hard when it is warm outside. All together I look like an average thirteen year old which is good; it makes you less noticeable. When we are all finally ready in my house we all leave to go to the reaping.

_Kadence Smith, District 3 Female_

"Kadence, time to get up"

"Euugghh it's too early," I open my eyes to find my father looking down at me. He has the same dark brown hair and brown eyes as me; we are very similar.

"It's not early, it's twelve; the reaping is in two hours!" He replies.

"Oh I forgot; why did you not wake me earlier!" I say slightly annoyed.

"Aw don't be like that Kadence" He says with a silly fake frown on his face. He picks me up and carry's me in his arms downstairs which makes me scream but laugh at the same time.

He puts me down when we reach the kitchen downstairs and we both sit down at the kitchen table. My mother is already sitting down waiting for us. My sister Katie who is nineteen walks in and sits down, she lets out a huge yawn. She must have just woken up; which explains why her blonde hair is all over the place. My brother Thomas who is eleven also walks in and looks just like Katie does; his blonde hair all over the place. He looks like my mother who has blonde hair and blue eyes; and Katie is a mix of both our parents with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. We all talk and laugh like we do every morning and then the awkward conversation about the reaping comes up.

"You scared for the reaping Kadence?" asks Thomas, not fully understanding what it's about.

"Not really" I lie, obviously I'm nervous, and who wouldn't be.

"Please let me choose your outfit and do your hair and make-up, please, please, please!" Katie begs I don't see why she wamts to; it's not like I'm going to cooperate with it all.

"Fine" I say.

We walk upstairs and I sit in my room waiting for Katie. She comes in fifteen minutes later looking immaculate like always,_ completely_ different to earlier this morning. She is holding a baby blue halter neck dress, which I have to admit is _beautiful._

"I am not wearing a dress!" I protest. I hate wearing dresses, you can hardly move in one and I remember when I was younger I had to wear one to a wedding and I tripped and made a massive fool of myself. It put me off wearing them from then on.

"Oh but you would look so pretty!" She says trying to convince me. "Just this one time?"

"Ok you get your way," I say looking annoyed.

"Yay thank you," she says clapping her hands happily.

I put on the dress and she ties the back up for me. She then tells me to sit down so she can do my hair and make-up. She brushes my hair and it comes just below my shoulders. She leaves it hanging loose but pins part of it back with a pin to match my dress. She puts a little mascara on my eyes and puts some light pink lipstick on me too. When she's finally finished she gives me some black ballerina flats to wear and drags me over to a mirror to see myself. We both stand in front of the mirror just staring at me.

"You look so beautiful; I wish I looked like you" She says quietly.

"You're joking, why would you want to look like me?" I say confused.

"You have no idea how pretty you actually are do you?"

I don't reply, I just stare at myself. It doesn't even look like me. I actually look like a normal girl. The blue dress goes nicely with my pale skin. It hovers just over my knee and compliments my slender figure.

"Thanks Katie"

"You're welcome Kadence, now come on or you'll be late for the reaping."

_Lin Jacobs, District 3 Male_

We reach the reaping just as are overly dressed escort is just about to announce the male tribute.

"I think we'll be different and choose the male tribute first," she announces.

I quickly run over to the twelve year olds section and Bane and Kenzie run over to their sections too. I stand away from most of the other boys. I don't have many friends and I can't seem to see any of the ones I have. I realise I'm shaking slightly so I must be nervous.

"Lin Jacobs"

_This can't be happening_. The crowd looks around for the Lin Jacobs she is talking about. I walk to the stage, nearly running. I just want to get up there and get this over with so everyone stops looking at me. I reach the stage and I see the escort quickly look at my arms with some sort of look on her face. Maybe Pity? I realise that everyone must be looking at them and I quickly try to cover them up feeling self conscience. She then walks over to the other side of the stage to pick the female tribute.

"Kadence Smith"

A pretty girl looking not much older than me walks up to the stage looking actually quite calm.

The escort says under her breath to herself "Both very young, not good, not good".

"Well here are our tributes, Lin Jacobs and Kadence Smith!"

I decide to give the crowd and the cameras a quick smile to show I'm not bothered about getting reaped and so I don't worry my family. I'm led to the justice building, where I will give my final goodbyes.

"Oh Lin" my mother says sadly, she's been crying, I can tell.

"It's ok mum I'm fine" I say trying to sound convincing.

"It's not ok; you're going into the Hunger Games!" Bane shouts, he actually looks quite angry.

I just look down at my feet, not wanting to say anything. I hug my parents and my brother and sisters.

"Have you got a token?" Kenzie asks.

"Yes, I'm going to take this" I say, I reach around my neck and pull out a dog tag necklace. On the front is a lightning bolt with a 3 engraved under it and on the back is a picture of all my family smiling and looking happy.

"That's pretty" Jaylin says in awe.

We all say goodbye one more time and my parents start to cry and so does Kenzie and even Bane. Jaylin starts to cry too when she realises I'm leaving. I don't cry though, I try to stay strong; for them.

_Kadence Smith, District 3 Female_

I reach the reaping and walk over to the fourteen's section. I see by friend Bethany and notice she is crying.

"It will be ok" I say comforting her.

I stand around for a bit and an older girl walks into me on purpose, nearly knocking me over.

"Watch it!" She snarls at me. Some of her friends also walk over and they all start sniggering. "Look at her dress" They all laugh and walk away.

"There only jealous" Bethany says after they have gotten far away in fear of them hearing her.

I don't take any notice, it happens a lot. It's mostly because I'm smaller so they like to pick on me but Katie also says there just jealous, I think she's just trying to be nice. She shouted at one of them once for picking on me and they all got scared for a bit, but that wasn't for long.

While this is all happening I have missed the beginning speech. The escort with horrible yellow hair in spiralling curls walks over to the males' names and quickly picks one.

"Lin Jacobs"

From where I am I can hear a gasp from another girl; but one of the older ones, she must be his sister. The boy who must be about twelve almost runs onto the stage he's walking that quickly. He stands trying to cover his arms and I can see why. He has long scars going up his arms and he obviously doesn't like them much. The escort then wanders over to the females' names and picks one again quickly. I smile at Bethany to reassure her.

"It won't be you" I mouth.

"Kadence Smith"

Stay calm. Stay calm. I look at Bethany who's started crying because she realises they have called my name. Stay calm. I walk towards the stage. Stay calm. I get to the stage and look into the crowd. My family stand on the edge, no longer looking happy and cheerful. Don't cry. Stay calm.

"Well here are our tributes, Lin Jacobs and Kadence Smith!"

I get lead of the stage, into the justice building.

Bethany visits me first, running in and hugging me.

"Kadence this is horrible you can't go into them games!"

"I have to don't I, there's nothing I can do."

"You're smart you can do this" she says. I know she's lying. I'm nearly the bottom of our class.

"I guess so."

"Here, take my bracelet as your token."

She hands me a bracelet that's made out of thread. I remember I made it for her as a friendship bracelet. It's made with a mix of blue and pink thread.

"Thanks Beth"

We say our final goodbyes and she leaves. My family come in next, all still looking terribly sad. We all hug and they cry and I cry a little but I try to stay calm, I have too. We also say goodbye and it's horrible, knowing that I probably won't see them again. They all leave and I'm left alone, something I'm not used too.


	5. District 4 Reaping

_Poseidon Hensworth, District 4 Male_

I walk up and down the beach next to my house. I've been doing this most mornings, but on this occasion I've been here longer. I like to feel the soft sand between my toes and listen to the calming crashing of the waves against the shore. It keeps my mind clear so I am able to think.

I look out into the sea to find a few people swimming and fishing. I see someone in particular, a girl who must be older than me; I think her name is Aria. She has long wavy brown hair, bright sea green eyes (which are very common in District 4) and golden tanned skin like mine. She's also very skinny but has quite an athletic build for a girl her age. Overall she's very beautiful and she's known for it, seeing as most of the boys in the District want to date her. The thing that makes me notice her is that again for the fourth time this week, she has been swimming non -stop for about an hour. She swims most mornings, but she's been swimming like this for the last couple of days for reasons I don't know; and normally she will start running up and down the beach for about an hour too.

I carry on walking down the beach but then I notice that she has stopped swimming and is just floating in the water. I walk a bit closer to the sea to get a better look and she doesn't seem to be moving. I look around in panic; no-one seems to have noticed either. I guess I'll have to help her. I quickly run into the sea, the water around me spraying up in the air, soaking my clothes. I swim out and grab hold of Aria, pulling her face out of the water. I drag her to the edge and lay her where the water meets the sand. I start to perform CPR which they teach everyone in District 4 seeing as there's always someone who drowns every year. Suddenly she starts to splutter and coughs up lots of water. She looks dazed and confused.

"What happened?" Aria asks.

"You were swimming and then I saw you just floating in the water so I swam out and saved you, no thanks needed," I laugh jokingly.

"I was training and it's not funny!" She argues, I don't know whether she's angry or messing about but I don't want to ask.

"I didn't say it was funny," I raise one eyebrow at her and she lets out a little girly giggle, but quickly covers it up. "So, what happened out there" I ask.

"I was training, and...I... got distracted by something... I was thinking about and I started choking on some water and that's all I remember," she replies, acting like she has done something wrong.

"Well, I hope your ok and everything... but I've got to go now, the reaping is soon, remember?" I say, hoping she isn't nervous for the reaping and will start breaking down right in front of me.

"Oh how can I forget!" she says grinning. "I can't wait!" She turns around and starts running off in the opposite direction. "Oh yeah, thanks for, you know, saving me" she shouts towards me.

"Don't worry about it," I mumble, more to myself than her.

I head back towards my house. It's one of the biggest in the district seeing as my family are pretty wealthy. I walk in to see my two older brothers, Jamie who is 19 and Samuel who is 21 wrestling on the ground; they're laughing so I know it's not a real fight. I jump over them and run upstairs towards my bedroom. I can hear someone calling my name.

"Poe? Poe is that you?"

It must be my other brother Zachariah who's 17.

"Yeah it's me Zach," I reply.

"Can you come help me up please?"He asks.

"Yes sure," I walk into Zach's bedroom to find him sitting in a large arm chair.

Zach has something wrong with his legs, so he has trouble walking from time to time. Most of the time he can get up and use his crutches, but he must be having one of his bad days. I put my arm round his back and lift him up so he is standing while leaning against me. I pass him his crutches and he thanks me while wandering off probably to get ready for the reaping. This reminds me, I should be getting ready myself. I walk across the hall to my own room and look in my wardrobe. I pick out come khaki trousers and a smart blue button up shirt to match my sea blue eyes. I comb my short curly brown hair and then I am ready. When all my family are ready I help Zach downstairs and we all leave the house to go to the reaping.

_Aria Oreota, District 4 Female _

I'm swimming laps in the sea; the cool water relieving my body from the past hours work out. My thoughts keep referring back to _that _day a year ago.

I was taking my afternoon jog around District 4 when I tripped over a broken paving stone and grazed my knee. I limped over to a house near by just so I got out of peoples way while I checked my knee. I was already humiliated by falling over so I didn't need people seeing me in pain. That would _not_ be good. If I'm supposed to be volunteering for the games I don't need everyone thinking I'm weak. I sat down on one of the benches in the houses front garden and made sure my knee wasn't bleeding and that I hadn't done any more damage to my leg. Once I found that everything was fine I decided I would take a short cut home. I climbed over the houses gate to walk through their back garden to reach another fence which would lead to my houses garden. On my way through I caught a glimpse of a familiar looking man. My Father. I peered through one of the houses windows to see my Father getting way too close with a woman who was _not_ my mother. That's obviously where he had been when he has said he's been _'working late'. _Before I saw anymore, I ran across the garden and jumped of the fence. I didn't come out of my room for the rest of the night and refused to talk to my Father_. _

I mean, I know my parents have been having problems ever since my brother Fargon died in the war two years ago; but they love each other! They got married when my Mother was sixteen and my Father was nineteen, and they've always been so in love. When Fargon died, it all changed. My parents became depressed but they only stayed strong for me and my younger sister Anita. I thought my Father might have come to his senses after a few weeks of having an affair with my home-wrecking neighbour, but I still catch him sneaking off to meet her. And now I'm trying to decide whether to tell my Mother about the affair before I volunteer for the games or she might never find out.

So, I was carrying out the swimming part of my vigorous work out when these thoughts kept disturbing my focus. I started having a slight panic attack realising that if I was to tell her it would be in a couple of hours and I suddenly swallowed lots of sea water and started choking. I felt my airways slowly closing up but the more I panicked the more water I swallowed and I slowly started to lose consciousness. The next thing I know I am being brought back to life by a boy looking no older than sixteen. He had curly brown hair and sea blue eyes that looked like the water I had just been near to death in. I felt so ashamed, I am supposed to be volunteering for a fight to the death in a few hours and I nearly died by choking on some water.

The boy looked at me strangely, not like how most of the boys do, where they just see my beauty and my nice figure, but like he actually cared that I was alright.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You were swimming and then I saw you just floating in the water so I swam out and saved you, no thanks needed," he laughs. Is he laughing at my stupidity? I glare at him slightly.

"I was training and it's not funny!" I argue, trying to make myself sound annoyed. Why am I so bothered about what he thinks? He's only a kid.

"I didn't say it was funny," he raises one eyebrow at me making his face look cartoon like and I giggle slightly, but I quickly cover it up. "So, what happened out there" he asks.

"I was training, and...I... got distracted by something... I was thinking about and I started choking on some water and that's all I remember," I reply, not wanting to say what I was truly thinking about.

"Well, I hope your ok and everything... but I've got to go now, the reaping is soon, remember?" he says, _how could I forget._

"Oh how can I forget!" I say grinning, trying to sound excited. "I can't wait!" I turn around and start running off in the opposite direction; Trying to get away from the situation. "Oh yeah, thanks for, you know, saving me" I shout back, trying to be polite.

I run back home to get ready. I go to my room to find Anita looking through my clothes.

"Hey! What are you doing" I run at her and tackle her to the ground playfully. We have a mess around wrestling match and like I expected I win. She's still good though for her age. She's been training for the games as well but is going to volunteer in a few years time. I started training as soon as I found out about the games a year ago and the only reason I'm volunteering for the games this year is because I am eighteen and it's my last chance.

"I haven't got _anything_ to wear!" she says, standing back up. I laugh at her. Even though she's only twelve she's so image conscious. We look very much alike; both of us having golden tanned skin, sea green eyes, wavy brown hair and a slim athletic figure. But were so different in personality. Anita is very popular and outgoing, having lots of friends and always out doing something new, while I'm more shy and quiet, only having one close friend. I plan out what I am going to do, while Anita just does things as they come. I haven't really got time for a social life as I'm always training but Anita says that all the boys like me and that they all say I'm the most beautiful girl in the district but I'm not too certain.

Being the kind sister I am, I help her find an outfit and then I pick my own. I choose a long strapless light blue dress made of silk which is tight at the top and then floats to the floor. I put on some natural make-up and tie half my hair back into a bun, and leave a few strands down which frame my face. I put on some matching blue shoes and then look in my draw to find my token. I find the black string bracelet, with three coloured beads, black, yellow and green and tie it round my wrist. The bracelet was Fargons so I treasure it. I walk down stairs to find my family waiting silently by our front door. We all leave, without saying a word.

"Are you definitely volunteering Aria?" My Dad says breaking the silence.

"Yes," I refuse to say more than one word to him.

"Well, I think you'll be great," he says. I just ignore him and act like I have seen something interesting somewhere else.

I've noticed my Mother has been very quiet since we left.

"You ok Mum?" I ask.

"I'm fine honey, I just worry about you and your sister; you're much too eager for these horrible games" she replies as if she is slightly disappointed in us.

"I haven't been training for nothing Mum!" I start to become annoyed at her. _Why show your true feelings now?_ Especially when I'm about to volunteer in less than half an hour.

"I know it's just, I don't want to lose another child!" It must be the first time I've ever heard my Mother shout at me, and it hits me hard. Her eyes start to fill with tears and my Father holds her hand comfortingly. I just give him a look of disgust and walk off into the crowd.

_Poseidon Hensworth, District 4 Male_

We all finally make it to the reaping and Zach and I walk into the crowd and head off to our separate sections. I start talking to my friends; I have got a big group of friends but I wouldn't say I was exactly close to any of them. They all don't seem bothered about the fact that they could be sent off to fight to the death and they probably wouldn't come back. I realise I am actually kind of nervous and my hands are shaking slightly. After minutes of waiting, our escort walks onto the stage. She has obviously gone for the sea/ beach look. Her hair is a dark bottle green like seaweed, she has died her skin a dark sea blue and has patterns on her skin that make her skin have the effect of waves. You have to give her credit for making an effort. She struts onto the stage and gives the crowd a dazzling smile. Her whitened teeth glow brightly against her blue skin.

"Welcome everyone to the first annual District 4 reaping!" She says enthusiastically. We all stay silent except for a few who cheer just for the laughs. She carries on, "Here is a message from the president."

We watch a short video about the rebellion and the games and then the escort starts to pick the tributes.

"I think we should pick the female tribute, so ladies first!" She gives another smile, but now everyone just groans at her annoying behaviour.

She walks over to the girl's names and puts her hand in the glass bowl. She grabs one quickly and walks back over to the microphone.

"Patricia Caroway"

Patricia must only be my age, but at sixteen she seems not too scared. She walks up to the stage and keeps her face plain and un-readable.

"I volunteer!" shouts a familiar voice.

I can see Aria running from the eighteens section up to the stage. When she gets there she has a beaming smile and curtsies to crowd. Some of the crowd cheer and some of the older boys wolf whistle which makes her blush. Patricia hugs Aria in thanks and walks off the stage.

"And what is your name?" The escort asks.

"Aria Oreota"

The escort smiles at her and then walks over to the boy's names. She does the same thing she did when picking the girls names and then walks back over to the microphone.

"Zachariah Hensworth"

This can't be happening. My brother cannot be picked. He can barely walk let alone run and fight. He would die in the first five minutes. Without even thinking I step forward and raise my hands in panic.

"I volunteer!" I shout as loudly as possible. Zach hasn't even reached the stage yet and is struggling to get there. I run past him and climb onto the stage.

"Wow another volunteer! What is your name?" the escort asks.

"Poseidon Hensworth" I pant, slightly out of breath from the running and shouting.

"I bet that is your brother, am I right?" she says.

"Yes, that's my brother" I hear few people in the crowd 'aww' and I look down embarrassed.

"What an exciting first reaping! Here are our brave tributes, Aria Oreota and Poseidon Hensworth!"

The crowd cheers but I can see my family finding Zach and hugging him. They all look up at me and Zach tries to say something but I'm dragged off the stage towards the justice building.

_Aria Oreota, District 4 Female _

I couldn't bear to look at him anymore. The way he acted with my mother when he was probably with that other woman a few hours ago. I had to get away from him, so I ran off towards the reaping. I found my friend Sandrine. She has cropped blonde hair and green eyes like mine. She's not as quiet as me, so she does most of the talking when were together.

"Aria, are you excited? You're going to volunteer right?" she hugs me and then smiles at me excitedly.

"Yes definitely."

"You're going to be amazing!" she goes to carry on but we're interrupted by the escort who is showing us a video from the president.

_Should I tell my Mother about the affair? It could ruin the whole family and think about Anita; she doesn't need that trouble. _These thoughts keep running through my mind and distract me from what's happening. I see a girl about sixteen, Patricia I think her name is; walk up to the stage calmly. Now's my chance.

"I volunteer!" I run up to the stage, smile to the crowd and curtsy. People cheer and some of the boys wolf whistle and I feel myself go red. Patricia hugs me and whispers thanks in my ear and walks off the stage.

"And what is your name?" The escort asks.

"Aria Oreota"

The escort smiles at me and then walks over to the boy's names.

"Zachariah Hensworth"

I see a boy on crutches struggling to walk up to the stage. Poor guy, he won't be able to survive in the games.

"I volunteer" Suddenly, I see a boy running up from the sixteen's section waving his hands in the air to show he is volunteering. He reaches the stage and I realise I know this boy. About two hours ago this boy saved my life.

"Wow another volunteer! What is your name?" the escort asks.

"Poseidon Hensworth" he says. This is not good. How am I supposed to kill him and survive when he saved me already?

"I bet that is your brother, am I right?" she says.

"Yes, that's my brother" a few people in the crowd 'aww'. Great, everyone's going to love him for saving his brother and they'll want him to win.

The escort then finishes, "What an exciting first reaping! Here are our brave tributes, Aria Oreota and Poseidon Hensworth!"

I walk off the stage, annoyed at my partner's brave outburst.

"Aria!" Sandrine runs into the room and hugs me. "I'm going to miss you so much!"

"I'm going to miss you too!" I say, and I mean it, I will really miss my best friend.

We stand hugging and Sandrine won't stop talking about what she thinks capitol will be like. The peacekeepers tell her to leave and she goes and then my parents and Anita come in.

"Honey, I'm going to miss you so much," My Mother says walking in and hugging me.

"I'll miss you too, but I'll be home soon so don't worry" I say reassuringly.

I start to say goodbye to Anita and she tells me how when I get back I've got to help her train some more. I promise I will.

"Mum, Anita, can you leave me and dad for a minute I need to talk to him"

They both agree and we say goodbye, then it's just me and my Dad left.

"Listen, I know about you and our neighbour and I want it to stop. It's not fair on Mum. If you want to leave Mum and go with her fine but don't cheat behind Mums back!" I end up shouting at him. I didn't want to tell my Mum but I can tell him to stop.

"Aria... I..."

"Don't say anything, just choose what you're going to do and leave"

"I love your Mother. I just got depressed and lonely that's all, of course I'm going to stay with your Mum" he says, he looks so guilty.

"Good, you can leave now" I say. I walk up to him and give him a hug. I haven't hugged him since I found out about his affair; and I miss it.

"See you soon Dad" I say.

"See you soon Aria" He walks out of the room and it feels like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

_Poseidon Hensworth, District 4 Male_

I sit in the room I must say goodbye to my family in. The expensive velvet seat I am sitting on feels like the one we have at home. _Home_. I might never go back there. If I'm up against someone like my district partner whose been training for the games how will I even survive. I'm pulled out of my thought as my family all come in. Zach slowly walks over to me and wraps me in his arms.

"You didn't have to do that Poe; but thanks," he says, looking more guilty than sad.

"I had too, who else would of?"

He doesn't answer. I'm saying goodbye to my parents and Jamie and Samuel are trying to give me pointers on how to fight.

"You've fought with me and pretty much beat me so that's got to mean you at least stand a chance." Jamie says.

"And you're really quick!" Samuel says as well. I try to picture myself killing someone, but it doesn't seem to happen. I don't think my brothers realise how bad the things I'm going to have to do are.

I say goodbye to my brothers as well and then Zach walks back over. He's been quiet most of the time they've been here.

"Here Poe, have my shell necklace. Remember when you gave me it?"

I do remember. I was about thirteen and Zach had been having another one of his bad days. I felt bad not being able to help him and when I was walking along the beach I saw a cool shell which I knew Zach would like. I picked it up and when I got home I put it on some thread and gave it to him. He loved it and he never takes it off.

"Thanks Zach, you sure I can take it?"

"Definitely" we both smile at each other and I say good bye to him too.

I sit back down on the chair and think. I've saved two lives today but how will I take away someone's life?


	6. District 5 Reaping

_Jackal West, District 5 Male_

I sit on a wall outside my house. I watch the empty streets and listen to the wind whistling through the silence. It's so quiet because the reaping is today so no-one has work or school and everyone can sleep in. I hear a door open and close behind me and my younger sister Cloha comes and sits on the wall to join me.

"You nervous for today Jackal?" She asks, her big brown eyes looking up at me. You can tell were related. We both have brown eyes, unruly black hair, ghostly pale skin, and were both small and skinny.

"Not really, I doubt I'll get reaped" I say confidently.

Cloha is only ten so she couldn't get reaped and she has nothing to worry about, but even if I did get reaped I could easily win.

"I'm bored of talking, I'm going to get ready," I say, I leave Cloha sitting on the wall by herself.

I walk in my rather small house. My Mother is sitting by herself in our living room crying. She cries a lot now, ever since the rebellion.

My Father supported the rebellion but was killed in the fight. My Mother and Cloha didn't take sides and consequently they are my only family alive. I don't know how I feel about the rebellion; I hate the fact that it killed my Father and left my family poor and alone but I'm not sure whether I support it or am against it.

"It's ok Mum, there's no need to cry" I sit down next to her and hold her hand.

"Where's Kiro, is he still out in the war?" she looks at me with hope. Kiro is my Dads name; sometimes she gets a bit confused and thinks he's still alive.

"No Mum, remember; Dad died about a year ago" I hate having to say that. She looks at me with the same big brown eyes as Cloha and they start to fill up with tears.

"Oh...right..." She starts to breakdown crying and I sit with her for a bit until she calms down.

"I have to go get ready Mum; will you be ok for a bit?"

"Of course, go get ready Jackal" She waves her hand shooing me upstairs.

I go into my room and look in my clothes draw for some decent clothes. I find some smart black trousers, and a drab grey long sleeved shirt. I put on the only shoes I own which are some plain black trainers. I try to sort out my unruly hair and I straighten my black glasses so they rest nicely on my face.

I walk downstairs and find Cloha so we can leave. I hold my Mother's hand in one hand, and Cloha's in the other and we walk down the road towards the reaping.

_Flair Rhodes, District 5 Female_

I lay under my covers, not wanting to get out of bed. I can hear the footsteps and voices of the other seven people who live in the house. The bedroom I am in is so busy and packed full that I think if I get out of bed I might get trampled on. There are six of us that sleep in the room. My older sister Brynn who is nineteen, my cousins: Amy who is nineteen, Red who is seventeen, Kole who is also seventeen, Ember who is fifteen and me; I am also fifteen. We all live in the house with my Aunt Camilla and Uncle Brutus. The reason I live with them is because my sister and I are basically orphans. Our Mother died giving birth to me and my Father died in the rebellion. Luckily, my Aunt and Uncle took us in and have raised us as their own. Even though I am very grateful for their kindness, it isn't exactly the best life. I came in to an already full family and we barely have enough money for us all so Brynn and I have had to get jobs to support the family.

I decide to get out of bed and I am shocked to find that the room is empty now. _Where's everyone gone? _I jump out of bed and run downstairs. Everyone is sitting round our large dining table. I sit in an empty seat and decide to start some conversation.

"So, how is everyone this morning?"

"Not very good, I'm kind of nervous" Ember says, even though she is the same age as me she seems much younger. She tends to be very quiet and shy most of the time. The reason she is nervous is because the reaping is today to decide who goes into the first ever Hunger Games. Out of the six kids, four of us can be reaped today: Ember, Red, Kole and I. Red also seems quiet this morning, normally he is very talkative but he just sits not saying a word. Kole seems ok though, replying if someone talks to him and he seems ok to talk about the reaping so I decide to talk to him about it.

"What about you Kole, how are you feeling about the reaping?"

"I'm ok about it actually, I mean, the odds are pretty good because if you think about it it's probably about a thousand to one but on the other hand..." he carries on for about 5 minutes talking about the odds of being picked and not being picked. I can't really understand his intelligent mind so I zone out and act like I'm listening; nodding when I think it's appropriate. After that beginning awkward conversation we all seem to be talking like normal again. Normal as in very loud and non-stop. I decide after a while I should go get ready so I duck out of the room quickly before anyone notices and decides to take the bathroom before me.

I go into the bathroom and lock the door. I go into the shower start singing like I normally do. I love singing and its good practice in the shower as you're the only one who can hear you (well I hope no-one can hear me). I do like singing for people though, I will if they ask me too, I don't get nervous like others might.

"Hurry up Flair I need to use the bathroom!" Brynn shouts from the other side of the door. _Damn this house only having one bathroom! _I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around me. I rush past Brynn and into the bedroom. Luckily no-one else is in here so I can get ready in peace. I decide to wear a brown skirt which reaches my knees and a cream short sleeved shirt borrowed from Brynn with a fake rose in the corner. I put on some brown flip flops with it and a pearl necklace which is Embers. I brush my dark reddish-brown hair and decide to wear it down and wavy instead of in its usual French braid. I look in the mirror in our room. My light blue eyes stare back at me, there so light that there almost white. My porcelain white skin would look ghostly if I didn't have rose colour cheeks, which are dotted with little freckles. Brynn walks into the room looking a lot like me but older. I'm glad were alone, I'm at my happiest when we are.

"I forgot to ask how you were feeling about the reaping" she says tucking my hair behind my ear; which I move back.

"I'm not really sure to be honest" I say.

"You don't need to worry about it, you'll be fine."

She takes a hold of my hand and we walk downstairs to join the others. When all of us are there we walk out the door to the reaping.

_Jackal West, District 5 Male_

When I reach the reaping, I let go of my Mothers and Clohas hands and walk towards the other fourteen year olds. No-one seems to acknowledge me and the ones who do just ignore me. I'm used to it though, I don't really talk to any of my classmates and they don't really like me because you could say I'm quite outspoken.

Our escort walks onto the stage. He has red hair and tattoos covering all his body including his face. He walks over to the microphone and starts to talk about how he's glad to be here and other boring stuff. Then he shows us a video from the president like he's trying to waste our time even more!

"Get on with the reaping already," I mumble. A few of the boys give me looks but I don't really care.

I think we'll choose our male tribute first. He walks over to the big glass bowl containing the boys' names. _I wonder what poor kids going to get chosen._

"Jackal West"

Oh it's me; oh well I could win these games with my eyes closed. I mean, look at me.

I just give a small shrug and walk up to the stage. I give the crowd a confident smile and I can see some of the boys I was standing near are laughing. _They won't find it funny when I come back as victor._

The escort then picks the girls name.

"Flair Rhodes"

A slim, pale girl around average height walks up to the stage with a blank expression. She tries to give a small smile but I can see she is shaking. I couldn't be less interested, I might have to kill her anyway to come home as victor so I don't really care about her.

The weird looking escort of ours announces us as the districts tributes and then walks us off the stage. I'm not paying too much attention as I'm getting slightly bored.

I sit in the room I was given to say goodbye to my family in. My Mother walks in crying and Cloha is crying too. They both come over and wrap me in their arms.

"Why are you crying?" I say. "I'll be home as victor soon anyway." I just love that word. _Victor._

They both look at me weirdly but don't say anymore. I say goodbye to them and they leave crying still. I am left to wait for my district partner to finish talking to her family and then I can leave for the capitol. I just want my victory to hurry up.

_Flair Rhodes, District 5 Female_

We all reach the reaping and Kole and Red go to the seventeen's section and Ember and I go into the fifteens section. I see all my friends and we start talking and laughing like normal. Our escort walks onto the stage. He has red hair which almost looks on fire and even though he has tattoos over his body and face he still looks somehow attractive. He tells us how happy he is to be here and then shows us a video from our president. Then he announces the males' name.

"Jackal West"

A weedy looking boy with glasses walks onto the stage and gives us some sort of smile which I think is supposed to be confident. He just seems to be overly cocky to me and I would hate to be his district partner. Spending days with him in the capitol. Euugghh. The escort then walks over to choose the females name.

"Flair Rhodes"

I look over at Ember in shock and she gives back the same expression. Why me? All I've ever been is nice to people. _Try to see the positive side to the situation Flair, at least Ember wasn't picked? _I can't help but find the negative though. 23 people are going to die in the games, and what if I'm in that 23.

I walk up to the stage and try to give a slight smile. I am shaking from head to toe. I didn't realise I was this nervous.

"Here are your tributes for District 5, Jackal West and Flair Rhodes!"

I am led off the stage, to where I must say goodbye to the ones I love.

"Flair!" Brynn runs in the room pulling me into a tight hug.

"You can't leave me; you're the only proper family I have left!" she argues. Tears start streaming down her face. "I can't say goodbye to someone else."

"Brynn, you're the best sister anyone could ask for and I love you so much but you need to stay strong for me. I'm going to try my hardest to come back." I say, and I try to mean it.

The rest of my family fall in and I say goodbye to each of them. I thank my Aunt and Uncle too for taking care of me all these years.

"I don't have a token!" I say. We're allowed to take one thing in with us into the arena to remind us of home or some sort of good luck charm.

"Here have this" Ember pulls up her long sleeves and takes off my lucky charm bracelet her and Brynn made me. "I thought I could use some extra luck" she says looking down guiltily. I can guess what she's thinking; maybe if I had worn it I wouldn't be here right now.

"Thanks, maybe it will bring me some extra luck" I smile at her hoping it makes her feel better. We all say goodbye and they leave, most of them crying.

I sit down on the floor and hug my knees. I don't like this type of alone.


	7. District 6 Reaping

_Kyran Flint(17), District 6 Male-POV_

I'm hiding behind my bedroom door trying to be as silent as possible. Next to me is my little brother Hedley who is twelve, he stands next to me doing the same thing but not being very successful. We wait for a few minutes until I can hear my older sister Adela who is twenty walking up the stairs.

"Kyran... Mum said to tell you to help me get the Kids ready for the reaping" Adela calls. "Kyran...?"

I can hear her getting nearer to the door.

"Ready Hedley?" I whisper. He nods smiling at me. He looks like a smaller version of me. We both have wavy brown hair which falls to our ears, light blue eyes, skin that's neither porcelain nor darkly tanned-more in the middle and were both quite small for age.

Adela walks through the door and Hedley and I jump out at her.

"AHHHHH" She screams holding her hands up in defence.

We both burst out laughing.

"You guys are so annoying!" she storms out of the room.

"That was SO funny" Hedley laughs. He loves doing pranks but I think it's more that he likes spending time with me. It must make him seem more grown-up somehow. I can hear someone else laughing which must be my other younger brother Axel who is nine. He has blonde hair and big blue eyes – the adorable one of us children. I creep over to his bed and grab him while he's still tucked in his blanket. I hold him in my arms and spin him round and round so it makes him dizzy.

"Stop Kyran!" He shouts, but he's laughing so I know he's ok. I put him down and he tries to walk but he falls over. The two of us start laughing watching him try to get back up.

"Come on you guys we better do what Mum says and get ready for the reaping" I see Hedley's face change slightly making him look scared and little. I've been trying to avoid that conversation this morning as I knew how scared he would be. He tries to act brave but he's still only a twelve year old.

I tell Hedley to go put on some smart clothes and I get some for Axel too and then I go to get ready myself. I look in my wardrobe and find a collared black short sleeved shirt and some long khaki trousers. I finish getting ready quickly and go downstairs to have breakfast.

All my family are sitting round the table. My Mother and Father sit next to each other. My Mother has light brown hair and emerald green eyes and is very sweet looking and my Father has blonde hair and blue eyes and is rugged but handsome. Adela is sitting at the end of the table, reading one of her magazines that are apparently from the capitol; I'm not really sure how she got it. Her blonde hair is in perfect condition and she has bright blue eyes, she is the beauty of the family for sure. Then opposite my Father is my other sister Natalia who is fourteen. She has the same bright blue eyes like the rest of us but she has light brown hair like my Mother and she is also very pretty. Then next to her is Axel and next to him is Hedley. I sit down at the other end of the table and notice there is a slight awkward silence.

"Why's everyone so quiet? Hey did you hear that joke about..." I start to talk but I am interrupted.

"Please can you not tell _another_ one of your jokes; it's not the right time!" Natalia says, she's obviously worried for the reaping too.

"Ok sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood..." I sit there quietly looking around at everyone. My parents have a look of worry on their faces like any normal parent would; Adela is her normal self; ignoring us and not paying attention. Natalia looks stressed out Hedley just looks incredibly nervous and like she's about to be sick and Axel is in his own little world. Adela and Axel can't be reaped today so obviously their not worried; and me... I don't really know how I feel, I could get reaped today but I'm just trying to make everyone else feel better about it all. We wait until everyone has finished breakfast and then we leave... well we leave after Hedley was done throwing up from being so scared.

_Tess Hardy(14), District 6 Female-POV_

_The brave knight ran through the woods, looking for his princess he was to save. He reached the tall tower and the beautiful princess was gazing over her balcony. _

"_Knight have you come to save me from this wretched tower?" the princess calls._

"_Yes my love, I..." _

I am interrupted from my story by my sisters high pitched squealing.

"Tess! Where is my mini skirt? You know the one with the pink pattern?" Tia looks at me as if I would actually wear her mini skirt. _Seriously?_

"You actually think I would wear that thing?" I say, looking at her confusingly.

She just puckers her red lips at me and struts out of my room.

She calls back at me, "Maybe if you cared more about how you look and less about books a lot more boys would like you."

"As if I care?" I say, I doubt she hears me though. Tia is nineteen but I seem so much more mature than her and I'm only fourteen. So what if I like reading? To be honest I don't just like reading, I love reading! It's like being able to go into a different world and leave your own life. After my grandfather who I loved more than anyone and he also shared my love of reading died in the rebellion, I relied on being able to get lost in books to get through the pain of losing him. It was the same when I found out some of my friends had died during it too. I guess it was some sort of coping mechanism, and it worked.

The reason I was reading this morning is because it's the reaping today and I didn't want to think about it. If I was reaped, I don't know what I would do. I couldn't hide in one of my books then. I sit in my room for a while just thinking until Tia and my Mother come into my room.

"Time to get ready Tess!" My Mother says enthusiastically. Oh great, they're going to want to choose my outfit.

Tia walks over to where my clothes are kept and is looking through everything.

"What were you thinking, ugly, you'd look like a boy..." She carries on describing everything I own like this. "God Tess do you not own anything decent looking?"

I start to say something but my Mother interrupts me. "Tia darling, why don't you go and pick something for her from your clothes"

"No Mum really that's not necessary..." I am not wearing anything of Tia's. She's pretty and popular, which basically means all she owns is miniskirts and anything that shows a lot of skin.

Tia runs out of the room excitedly and comes back in with a few dresses in her hands.

She holds them up one by one, "Too pink, too frilly, too orange... what were you thinking when you brought that one!" I laugh slightly at my imitation of my sister.

She pulls a face at me and holds up another dress. "I actually like that one," I say, surprising myself. I put on the dress and look at myself in the full length mirror. The dress is a mint green and it comes in at the top and floats down to just above my knee. My Mum then brushes my red hair which comes down to my shoulders and Tia applies some light make up to my hazel eyes to make them 'pop'. She barely puts any make-up on my actual face because she says my freckles look sweet how they are and the green of the dress makes my skin look pale but in a nice way.

"You look so beautiful, just like your sister" My Mother says, you would think I would like that comment, but I don't. The reason is that notice how she said 'like your sister'. She's constantly comparing me to her and wants me to be more like her.

"Thanks" I mumble.

My Father walks into the room and looks at me.

"You look so lovely, very grown-up."

"Thank you Daddy" I smile and hug him. My Dad and I get along much more than we do with anyone else. He doesn't compare me to my sister and he treats me like a grown-up which I like.

"We better go to the reaping or were going to be late!" My Mother says to us.

Tia has to touch up her hair and make-up one more time and then we can finally leave.

_Kyran Flint(17), District 6 Male-POV_

We reach the town square and Natalia, Hedley and I head into the crowd of children. We wait for a bit until the reaping finally starts. A tall man, who actually looks rather normal except for the tattoos covering his arms and the piercings on his face, walks onto the stage. He must be our escort. He introduces himself and shows us a video from the capitol and then begins the reaping.

"Let's choose the young lady first" he says in a very low voice.

"Tess Hardy"

I hear a scream coming from where our families wait. I see a pretty girl trying running at the stage trying to volunteer and I notice there is some sort of commotion coming from the girls section. The girl who must be Tess is kicking and screaming and she is crying waves of tears as the peacekeepers drag her up to the stage. She stands next to the escort and she is still sobbing really loudly. I feel really sorry for her. Then the escort walks over to pick the male tribute.

"Hedley Flint"

No. Not my innocent little brother who loves to laugh and play pranks. He can't go in that arena; he'll be slaughtered. Hedley walks up to the stage, he is shaking and his bottom lip is trembling too. I see his eyes fill up with tears and decide it's enough.

"Any volunteers?" the escort asks with a grim expression, both his tributes are young and have cried a lot, he obviously hopes for a volunteer for one.

"I volunteer!" I shout, everyone turns around and looks at me. They know Hedley is my brother and some even give a small smile at my act of bravery.

I run up to the stage and hug Hedley.

"It'll be ok, don't worry your safe now" I comfort him but he just cries into my shirt. "You need to go now, go find Mum and Dad and I'll see you in a minute"

All he can do is nod and he runs off the stage crying. I stand up straight trying to make myself look strong and tall. I can't look weak now when everyone in Panem is watching.

"And what is your name young man?" the escort asks.

"Kyran Flint" I say bluntly.

"Oh I see, you must be brothers, right?"

I nod and do nothing else. I stare expressionless into the crowd.

"Ok then... here are your District 6 tributes, Tess Hardy and Kyran Flint" He tries to make it sound like a good thing but the crowd just stays quiet. They all have a look of disgust on their face; they obviously disapprove of the games now.

I look at Tess, she seems so small. She reminds me a bit of Natalia seeing as their same age. Maybe I can protect her like I would my younger sister. At least I would be doing something good in the games.

_Tess Hardy(14), District 6 Female-POV_

I reach the reaping and stand amongst the crowd of girls. I pull out the book I was reading earlier which I snuck out of the house with me and begin to read.

"_Yes my love, I have come to save you and give you a better life, please come with me" the knight shouts to the princess. A tear escapes her eye, realising she will finally get away from this life of sorrow._

"Let's choose the young lady first" I look up and slam my book shut. I see the District 6 escort walking over to the glass bowl containing the girl's names.

"Tess Hardy"

Not me. It can't be me. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. A sob comes from deep in my throat and I collapse to the ground. I shake on the floor and my eyes are overflowing with tears. I hear screams coming from the part where my parents and Tia are.

"No, get off me, I VOLUNTEER, I SAID GET OFF ME!" Tia is pushing her way through the crowd and she tries to climb onto the stage. A group of peacekeepers come to drag her away and I look up to see a few have come to get me too.

"No I can't go ... . !" I kick and scream as they carry me up to the stage. They throw me up there and I get up from the floor and wipe my wet cheeks. I can't stop sobbing though. Knowing that I'm going to die, I can't bear to think about it.

"Ok, let's get on with picking the male tribute"

"Hedley Flint"

I see a sweet looking boy come from the twelve's section and he is shaking. When he reaches the stage I notice his bottom lip is trembling and he is starting to cry. In the crowd I can see an older boy around seventeen pushing through the crowd.

"Any volunteers?" The escort asks. He doesn't seem to like the idea of us both being young.

"I volunteer!" the boy I was looking at runs through the crowd and onto the stage. You can tell he's his brother, they look exactly the same. He hugs his brother and then Hedley walks off the stage crying.

"And what is your name young man?" the escort asks.

"Kyran Flint" he says, looking somewhat angry.

He looks up at me, and smiles a crooked smile, which is _very_ cute. He obviously doesn't want to kill me. That's one off of the twenty three.

The escort announces our names and then we have to go to the justice building to say our goodbyes.

"Tess, I couldn't do anything, I'm so sorry" Tia bursts into the room and wraps me into her arms. We are both crying into each other's shoulders.

"It doesn't matter, I'll be fine" I say, more trying to convince myself than her.

We stand crying and my parents walk in and join us in the hug.

"I'm so proud of you Tess, you're so brave" My Mother says, running her hands through my hair. I know I wasn't brave, I acted like a child, but it means a lot her finally being proud of _me._

"You can do this Tess, you need to try and you can't give up now" My Father talks to me like I am an adult. I normally like this, but I wish he would just treat me like a little kid and tell me it's all going to be ok.

I hug them all and they all walk out crying, including Tia who I think might be having a mental break down. I didn't realise she would miss me so much.

I sink to the floor and hug my knees. _I wish I had a knight to save me now._

_Kyran Flint(17), District 6 Male-POV_

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" My family all burst in and Hedley won't stop thanking me.

"Hedley, you don't need to thank me, I did what I had to do."

"Who's going to make us all laugh now?" Adela says, her cheeks wet where she's been crying.

"Hedley will" I say smiling at my younger brother.

"You haven't got a token!" Natalia says.

My Father speaks up "Your token can be the sky. As long as you don't lose it, you'll be safe" I smile at my father's wise words. It makes me feel good to think that we will all be looking at the same sky even when I'min the arena.

I look at them all; I can't seem to find anything to make them feel better.

My eyes fall on Axel, I hope he never becomes in this situation, he just seems too young. I then look at Natalia; I wish I could protect her from all this danger going on around her. I wish I could protect all of them. I say good bye to all of them and they leave the room leaving me alone.

I walk out of the room to go to the train and a camera is filming me. I give it an angry stare and the person filming turns away. I know one thing; smiling and joking around is not going to help me in the arena.


	8. District 7 Reaping

_Iliad "Lili" Quarmen(12), District 7 Female-POV_

I wake up at 6am and get out of bed. I put on some old worn out trousers, a short sleeved shirt and some boots. I tie back my light brown hair into a pony-tail and creep out of my door before anyone can notice I've gone.

I run through the streets of District 7 as quietly as possible trying not to wake my neighbours and reach the woods where my father works. It seems to be empty so I walk through at my own pace. I reach the districts edge and a tall fence faces me. I climb into a nearby tree and balance along a high branch. When I am far enough I let myself drop into the soft grass on the other side of the fence. I look around me and there is no-one in sight. I sit in a large meadow in a district I don't know. It might not even be a district, it could be just a space that separates them, but I doubt it. I have thought about venturing further but if I got caught I would probably be killed. I like this place more than District 7. It's so calm and I can get away from everything. I spent a lot of time here during the rebellion as there were a lot of arguments in my house at the time.

My Mother and Father supported the rebellion, but for some reason my older brother Hatch was on the capitols side. There was constant debating and I got sick of it and I just remained neutral. I use to escape here when things got tough and it helped me. My Mother was killed later on in the rebellion by someone from the capitol and I hated them for it. I decided to side with my Father which obviously made my Brother feel guilty and unwanted because he ran away and I have never seen him since. I sometimes wonder if he climbed this fence like me, but carried on walking and found a different life.

When I have been in the meadow for what I feel is a long time I walk along the fence trying to find the place where I can get back over. I find the fence panel which contains a gap where I can fit my foot in and boost myself over. I land with a thud and realise I have cut my skin on a loose nail. Blood drops down my tanned skin and I hold my hand over it to stop the blood flow. _I hate blood__. And it's going to leave a scar. Great._ I walk back to my house and the streets are still empty; probably because of the reaping. I reach my home and close the door quietly. I walk into are quaint living room where my Grandmother is sitting in her arm chair. She was my Mums Mother and she lives with us as she isn't fit to live by herself.

"Hi Grandma, how you doing?" I say joining her.

"I'm fine Iliad, how are you feeling for that reaping going on later this afternoon?" she looks at me with same soft big blue eyes, my Mother had, and that I also have too.

"I'm not sure, sometimes I feel terrified and others I'm fine, I think the training I have been doing helps" When the Games were announced, my Father thought it would be a good idea for me to practice basic fighting skills as I am only twelve; so even if I didn't get picked this year I could in the years to come and the training would help in the games. I think it was just him being overly protective of his little girl but I didn't argue.

"You are tough you know Iliad, like your Mother, at your age you shouldn't have had to deal with as much as you have" She runs her frail hands through my hair, letting it out loose.

"Will you braid my hair for the reaping?" I ask. She nods and I sit in front of her chair. She begins to braid my hair into two braids which rest nicely on my shoulders.

"Thanks Grandma" I kiss her on the cheek and skip off to my room.

I find the green dress that I was planning to wear to the reaping. The light material feels nice against my skin and it falls to my knees. I look in my small trinket box and find the golden chain necklace which was my Mothers. I secure it round my neck and run my hand over the chain. I find some shoes which were hand me downs from my Grandmother, there small flats that match my dress. I walk downstairs and find my Father tending to the twins. The twins are my brothers Alec and Crowe who are five. I go and help him, I get Crowe ready and he gets Alec ready. It's speeds up the process and we are able to leave for the reaping sooner rather than later.

_Itzel Minx(14), District 7 Male-POV_

"Mum it will be ok, calm down, please," I sit with my Mother holding her hand. She is rocking back and forth and won't stop crying.

"Where have you been Michael, you've been gone for so long," she looks at me, her blue eyes shining with tears.

"It's not Michael Mum, its Itzel" I stare back at her. I hate seeing her like this. So vulnerable and confused.

"Is my Father with you, and Leo? They've been gone for too long, too long..." She carries on mumbling to herself.

Michael was my Father; he died in the rebellion supporting the rebels and so did my Mums Brother Leo and her Father too. I wanted to help fight with them, but I wasn't old enough. She lost a lot in the rebellion and I am her only family left. Sometimes she has break-downs when she is depressed and especially when she sees me. I look incredibly like my Father, the same shaggy blonde hair and green eyes. Of course she could get confused.

"They all died Mum, don't you remember?" She doesn't. Its torture having to tell her that. The light in her eyes fades and she sits staring into nothingness.

I think if I had fought in the rebellion and died as well, I doubt she'd be alive. I know it's horrible to say but she would have most likely ended her own life.

"Mum, I have to get ready for the reaping; remember, the reaping is today?" She stares into the space in front of her and doesn't say a word. I groan in defeat, she normally gets back to normal now, maybe she does know it's the reaping and is worried she'll lose me too.

I leave the room and go into my room next door. We only have a one floor house as we can't afford anything big. My bedroom is more of a cupboard space, but I don't mind. I wanted my Mother to have the bigger room. I open my one clothes draw and find my only smart clothes; a brown suit. It was my Fathers, and I know it won't help my Mothers confusion but it's the only thing decent. I go back into the room my Mother is in and she seems back to normal. She is wandering round the room tidying up; I'm not sure why now but I don't question it.

"Mum it's time to go," I say, hoping she will at least reply.

"Ok Itzel let me just grab my coat" She smiles at me and walks into her bedroom. She comes back out a few minutes later and we walk out of the house.

"You could have at least brushed your hair!" She lectures.

She's _definitely_ back to normal.

_Iliad "Lili" Quarmen(12), District 7 Female-POV_

I stand amongst the other twelve year old girls. I am tall for my age and they are mostly all small so I tower over them. I try and blend in and make myself smaller, I don't want to draw attention to myself. Our escort walks on to the stage; well more wobbles, in about 6inch heels. I think if I wore them I would topple over. She's quite pretty for someone from the capitol even though her skin is a light green colour. She tells us she is delighted to be here and then shows us a clip sent by the president.

"I think we will pick the Ladies first," the escort says. She slowly walks over to the bowl containing the girl's names and nearly falls over but grips the bowl for support. She reaches in and picks one.

"Iliad Quarmen"

It's me. _Don't cry Lili that will not make you look any better._ I move my head from side to side frantically until I spot my Grandma.

"What do I do?" I mouth, I seem to be frozen in place and I can't move.

She moves her hands telling me to go up to the stage. I start shaking as two peacekeepers grab one arm each and walk me up to the stage. When I reach it the escort hugs me, like I've known her for years.

"It will be fine" she whispers in my ear. I nod back to her, not wanting to talk in case my voice shakes.

"Now for the male tribute!" She does the same thing when she picked my name.

"Itzel Minx"

I see a boy in the fourteens section who is also taller than everyone his age. I can see he has some muscle; _he could be hard to fight. _He walks up to the stage and stands next to me. He doesn't even glance at me, just stares straight ahead. I see a woman where the parents stand and she cries out. She sits on the floor and starts shaking. A few people crowd around her trying to help. She must be his Mother.

The escort also goes to hug him but he doesn't hug her back. He just stands still looking ahead.

"Here are our tributes, Iliad Quarmen and Itzel Minx! Shake hands you two."

He looks at me and then just walks off the stage. I shrug and follow. The escort stands still on the stage looking confused and then tries to follow us but she's too slow to catch up.

"Oh Iliad this is such a shame" My Grandmother walks in the room I've been allocated in the justice building. My Father follows with my brothers.

"Lili you need to stay strong and fight! You know how to, so use them skills!" My Father talks about what I can do to help myself in the arena.

I stand there for a while wrapped in my Grandmothers arms. She is like my Mother in some ways, very caring and loving.

"Grandma, I want to take something from the district with me as my token, so have Mums necklace," I take the chain off my neck and fasten it around my Grandmothers.

"I have just the thing," she reaches into her large handbag where she keeps about everything. She pulls out a piece of string and a leaf which must have blown into her bag. She pierces the leaf and ties it on the string. She then puts it round my neck replacing the old necklace. _Who can make a necklace in about a minute? _

"There you go something from the district and you won't lose it now."

"Thanks, this is actually pretty cool" I say.

I say goodbye to the twins, then Gran and then my Dad. He takes my face in his hands and stares at it; like he's trying to remember what I looked like before I go into the games. He turns and leaves the room, and I sit down on a seat in the room. It's made of the most expensive material I have ever seen. I put my hands round the leaf on my neck and feel the smooth texture. I won't be able to forget my home now, and I think I might actually miss it.

_Itzel Minx(14), District 7 Male-POV_

I reach the reaping and my Mum wave's goodbye. I stand amongst the other fourteen year olds. Some try to start conversation but I just ignore them. The escort talks for a while but I don't really listen. She then picks the female tribute.

"Iliad Quarmen"

A twelve year old girl gets walked up to the stage by two peacekeepers because she wouldn't move. She seems like she could survive the beginning of the games, but she looks quite weak so she wouldn't get very far. The escort then walks over to the males' bowl and I start to pay attention.

"Itzel Minx"

I huff and begin to walk on stage. This was bound to happen. I reach the stage and look out into the crowd. My Mother cries out and falls to the floor. A group of other adults try to help her. I just stare ahead; if I look at her she will make me weak and I might cry and that can't happen. The escort then tries to hug me but I just stay still. I don't even know her, why would I hug her?

"Here are our tributes, Iliad Quarmen and Itzel Minx! Shake hands you two." The escort says.

I just look at my district partner and walk off the stage. She seems to follow and so does our escort. _Great._

I stand in the room I've been given in the justice building. I pace back and forth nervously. I look around the room. It probably costs more than my house. My Mother gets brought in by the Peacekeepers and I walk over and wrap her in my arms.

"It'll be ok" I whisper comfortingly.

"Where are you going Michael? Is it the war again?" She says looking at me blankly. This can't be happening now.

"I'm not Michael I'm Itzel, and listen Mum, don't do anything stupid ok? And I'll be home soon."

She must of heard me because she mumbles, "Ok Itzel, I love you." She grabs my hand and presses something into it.

She walks dreamily out of the room tears streaming down her face and I look at my hand. My Fathers wedding ring lies in my hand. My Mother wore it as well as her own because she didn't want to lose it.

I slide it on my finger and smile. She must have known it was me.


	9. District 8 Reaping

_Jazzy Kaede(14), District 8 Female-POV_

"Come play outside Joni!" I tug on my younger sisters' shirt begging her to come join in on the fun.

"Leave me alone Jazzy, I just want to read!"

"Please, please, please..." I could have gone on for longer.

"Fine! Just for an hour because the reaping is soon!" she walks out of the door and I follow.

You would think it would be the opposite way round, the younger sibling annoying the older one, but this is a onetime thing. I just don't want to have to think of the reaping, so I need a distraction and I thought something fun would do just the trick. Both Joni and I are quiet and shy, but with each other we are completely different. I am more loud and bubbly and she doesn't even think about her precious books.

We both stand on either side of the road and throw a ball back and forth. My friend Sophia comes to join us too; she must be nervous as well. I'm pretty good like I am at most things but Joni isn't the most coordinated person; basically she drops the ball nearly every time. But I don't mind, it's something to laugh at. We do this for a while until I see a group of people around my age maybe older walking towards us. I try to ignore them, but I feel slightly awkward as I'm not the most sociable person.

"Hey Fred, Nena why don't we play catch with the kids," The taller boy says, he must be around 6ft... He's very handsome, his shaggy brown hair falling over his forehead slightly covering his chocolate brown eyes.

"I'm not a _kid" _I mumble.

"What was that?" the boy asks.

"Nothing, we don't really want to talk to you so maybe you could just leave us alone? Ok?

"Just leave them alone Chase, I don't think they're the joking around type" says Fred.

"What? Do you find me hard not to look at?" Chase smiles a seductive smile at me. He is very good looking but too arrogant for my liking. And I'm only fourteen, so I'm not exactly hunting for boys at the moment. I have time for that when I'm older.

He walks over to me and leans in towards me. He whispers in my ear, "You're not bad looking yourself" He puts his hand on my back and pulls me closer towards him.

"Get away from me!" I squeal, pushing him away. He just shrugs and strolls away with his friends.

"What was that?" Sophia asks confused.

"Do you like him or something Jaz?" Joni adds curiously.

"Ew of course not he's a creep!" I say, truth is I didn't think he was too bad, but I couldn't let them know that, they wouldn't let me live it down!

"I think we should go get ready for the reaping Joni, see you there Sophia," We wave goodbye to my friend and then Joni and I go back inside.

We both go to the room we share to find something to wear. We have a few nice outfits as we have enough money for things like that and our parents didn't want us going without. I live a normal life, with my two parents and Joni, and we rarely struggle for money or food.

I choose a white dress which comes to my knee and some black flats. The dress shows off my tanned skin, it makes my raven-black hair look even darker than it is and it highlights my curves well. I tie my hair into its normal braid and leave my face natural with no make-up. We finish getting ready and we leave for the reaping with our parents.

_Chase Sedesky(15), District 8 Male-POV _

I walk down the road with my two best friends Fred and Nena. We laugh and joke, Fred and I teasing Nena about her latest crush. This is the way I like things to be. We get to the end of the road and I notice some people playing catch. There is a girl on one side; I think I've seen her in school, she is very pretty, with _very_ nice curves. We walk over and I speak up.

"Hey Fred, Nena why don't we play catch with the kids," I look into the girls eyes, there an onyx colour, very mysterious.

"I'm not a _kid" _she mumbles.

"What was that?" I ask.

"Nothing, we don't really want to talk to you so maybe you could just leave us alone? Ok?" She says. I don't like how she's treating us, and when I don't get my way, I tend to act ... differently.

"Just leave them alone Chase, I don't think they're the joking around type" says Fred.

"What? Do you find me hard not to look at?" I give her a flirtatious smile and I see her blush slightly.

I walk over to her and lean in close to her. So close that I can hear her speeding heart. I whisper in her ear, "You're not bad looking yourself" I rest my hand on the lower part of her back and pull her closer to me so our bodies are touching.

"Get away from me!" she squeals, pushing me away. I shrug and walk away.

I wasn't always like this; I was the shy kid who wouldn't talk to anyone, but things change.

It all started when my parents died in an accident ten years ago when I was five. I was sent to my aunt- who I don't even think I'm related to and she was very abusive. She used to kick me when I was down-literally and when she was drunk it was worse. When I was thirteen, she was severely drunk and came home and raped me. I couldn't defend myself; I was only a kid. I have been scarred for life from that incident and I went through a stage when I would rarely be home. I would leave school, and come home late, spending my time in the woods singing and studying new plants around the area. After a few months of doing this I had time to think and I decided to change. I changed my personality and looks, and in the next couple of days I gained instant popularity.

I leave my friends after a while, to get ready for the reaping. I don't know how I feel about this fight to the death the president has made; it could be a way out of something I guess. I walk into my home, which smells of alcohol and smoke. You couldn't really call it a home; it's more like a rubbish tip. I peer into the living room to find my Aunt Rose lying on the sofa, passed out. Even though I could easily beat her in a fight, I am still terrified by her. Like I said, I was scarred for life. I walk into my room, and put on a pair of black trousers which are becoming way too small, a white shirt and some black shoes. I don't want to wake my Aunt, but she has to go to the reaping, so I leave the house, slamming the door loudly so I'm sure it will wake her up.

_Jazzy Kaede(14), District 8 Female-POV_

We reach the reaping and I watch Joni walk over to the twelve year olds section. She blends into the crowd, her being small and quiet, and is barely noticed by anyone. I join the group of fourteens and find Sophia.

"Are you scared?" I say.

"Uh you could say that..." She stands her hands shaking.

I look ahead and watch as the escort for our district walks onto the stage. She is a tall woman, looking very elegant and regal. She has definitely had work done on her face, but nothing too extreme.

I stand talking to Sophia, trying to make her feel better. Suddenly the escort is walking over to pick the female tribute.

"Joni Kaede"

Joni starts to walk to the stage, I can hardly see her over the other people. My little sister can't go into the games. She's too shy and quiet. Being good at reading won't help her there.

"Any volunteers?" the escort asks.

"I volunteer!" I shout. I don't realise what I have done until it has happened. I try to stay calm, but I am so scared. I hold my composure for Joni so she doesn't get upset and I walk up to the stage.

"What is your name young lady?"

"Jazzy Kaede" I say quietly, but because of the microphone my weak voice echoes through the district.

"That must have been your sister correct?" she asks. I nod, "Well you are very brave indeed" She replies.

She then picks the male.

"Lyle McKee"

A boy who's in Joni's class at school walks up to the stage. He is trying to act tough but I can see he is scared. Suddenly, I hear a shout from the fifteens "I volunteer!"

Everyone looks around shocked to see this boy. I look too and realise it is Chase. The boy who got a bit too close to me earlier this morning. It's as if he realises what he has done and he covers his mouth with his hand. He walks up to the stage and won't stop looking at me. _What is his problem? _He notices I see him looking at me because he tries to cover it up by winking at me flirtingly. I just roll my eyes and look into the crowd. The escort announces are names and we are led off the stage to where I must say goodbye.

Sophia walks into the room I am in and hugs me.

"I can't believe what you did, you were so brave" she says.

"I know, neither can I, and can you promise me something? That you'll try and get Joni to make more friends, I was going to but I can't now really can I," I look at her and she looks back awkwardly. She nods and we say goodbye and then she leaves.

My family and I have what I expect normally happens when someone volunteers for a family member. My parents praise me for saving my sister and Joni cries because I have to go and I'll probably never come back. We say goodbye and there are lots of tears and they leave; just like that. It's so weird how some one's life can change so quickly and I didn't think it would be my life that it would happen too.

_Chase Sedesky(15), District 8 Male-POV _

I get to the reaping and join Fred in the crowd. The reaping starts and before I know it they are already choosing the female tribute. I feel slightly nervous for Nena and hope she doesn't get reaped. I can see it in Fred's face too, he's secretly liked Nena forever and he wants to tell her how he feels soon.

"Joni Kaede"

I recognise this girl from somewhere, but I can't think where. She seems very quiet and timid.

"Any volunteers?" the escort asks.

"I volunteer!" the girl who just called out walks to the stage. I now know where I recognised that girl from. She is the sister of the girl I was flirting with earlier, and now that girl is on the stage.

"What is your name young lady?"

"Jazzy Kaede" she says nervously, it's barely a whisper.

"That must have been your sister correct?" the escort asks. Jazzy nods, "Well you are very brave indeed"

She then walks over to pick the male tribute. Maybe volunteering for someone wouldn't be that bad. I'd be doing something good and I would get away from that disgusting Aunt of mine.

"Lyle McKee"

A small boy walks up to the stage looking so scared._ I could help him. I wouldn't have to live in that alcohol smelling dump anymore._

"I volunteer!" I shout. I can't believe what I have just done. I clamp my hand over my mouth in shock, but it is too late. I walk up to the stage and the boy Lyle has already run off the stage. I look at Jazzy. She looks _beautiful ._I never realised that before. She catches me staring at her so I wink at her trying to make it seem like a joke.

"What is your name?" the escort asks.

"Chase Sedesky"

"Our tributes, Jazzy Kaede and Chase Sedesky!"

The crowd claps for their two volunteers. I follow Jazzy off the stage and am led to the justice building where they expect me to say goodbye to my loved ones.

"Chase this is so horrible, you can't go!" Nena is crying and Fred is holding her hand in support. They really would make a cute couple.

I say goodbye to them both and they leave.

I wait, but I know no-one else is coming and I don't want to see my Aunt anyway. I'm glad to get away from that abusing, disgrace of what's supposed to be family.


	10. District 9 Reaping

_Reina Luckmere(17), District 9 Female-POV_

"Wake up Reina; I said wake up!" My Uncle Spur shouts at me. I lay still, not wanting to wake up. He grabs the back of my neck and drags me out of my bed. He throws me on the floor and I curl up in a ball hugging my knees.

"I'm going to get a drink..." he slurs, I can smell that he's had alcohol already. "You can find your own way to the reaping... let's hope you don't get picked hmm" he walks drunkenly out of the room.

I lay there for a minute, just crying. _You're being a baby, stop crying and stand up for yourself._

"I can't, I can't it'll make things worse!" I say to myself. I stand up nearly falling over from dizziness. When was the last time I ate? Or had a proper night's sleep? I look into the mirror and lift the back of my shirt. The swollen bruises on my back which kept me up last night have doubled in size and some of the marks are nearly the same colour as my red hair. I push my long hair to one side so I can get a better look. _They really are bad. If my parents saw this they would kill my uncle._ You would wonder why my Uncle, someone who is supposed to be family, would do this to me. He's had a tough ten years, but so have I, and I think I've had it worse.

Ten years ago when I was seven, there was a tornado that came through one of the grain fields. My family and I were all there but I'm quick, and I ran fast into a safe place. I thought my family would follow, but they didn't survive it. My Parents had died, but I never realised afterwards that my Uncle which is my Fathers Brother, had been at home ill and wasn't there. I then later found out, that my Uncles wife and his son, both died as well and it drove him into a bad place. He started drinking and I rarely saw him. Then, he was told he was to look after me as he's my only family left but I turned into something to take his anger out on. He's made me feel like I am worth nothing and I literally have no self esteem.

I face the mirror and stare at myself. _You're nothing. You're just like a little kid, scared and weak._

I do look like a little kid. I am mostly skin and bones and I am smaller than even most of the fourteen year olds in my district; and I'm seventeen. I look at my skin, I have naturally light tanned skin but you can hardly see it with the amount of bruises I have. I have dark red hair, pale blue eyes and freckles that come over the bridge of my nose. I have a bruise on my cheek where Spur slapped me yesterday for no reason I can think of. I go red in anger. I shouldn't have let him do that. Angry tears fall from my eyes but I quickly wipe them away. I will not give him the satisfaction of making me cry.

I need to get ready for the reaping as it must be soon so I put on a blue blouse I got when I was ten which is actually too big on me now. I put on a white skirt which is ripped down the side. I look terrible but there the only good clothes I have. I leave the house, hoping I don't run into Spur on my way.

_Caleb York(13), District 9 Male-POV_

I sit at home, alone like normal. Well, you couldn't call it a home; it's more of a shed. I sit, eating a piece of grain I stole from the field outside my 'home'. My stomach rumbles for more, but I eat slowly, trying to convince my stomach that I am eating much more. When I am finished, I curl into a ball and try to get some sleep. It's hard, the wind is loud blowing through the space where a window once was and every time I hear a noise outside I worry.

I finally fall asleep and dream of my old life before the rebellion. I had a Mother and Father and we were all together and we seemed the perfect family; but then the capitol took it away from me. They killed my parents and left me alone. I wouldn't let the orphanage take me; I've heard bad things about it. I expect everyone thinks I died with them, but no-one knows I am alive and living here. I rarely leave the shed I am in, escaping in the night to find food and water but I retreat back as soon as I see the slightest sign of dawn. I must leave today though, because today is the reaping and if you aren't marked in, they will come to find you. I am so unrecognisable to the person I was before, not even my old friends would notice me. I doubt they even remember me. I used to be quite bulky; with shiny nicely cut black hair and light brown eyes. I'm now small and thin from lack of food, long dirty black hair and dark brown eyes where I rarely see light. I wear ripped brown trousers and a grey shirt which used to be white. The only nice possession I own is my Fathers gold chain. I thought about selling it, when I got sick and needed medicine but I am glad I have kept it, it reminds me of the life I used to have.

I slowly open the shed door and peer round, its light and the sun is shining. Such a nice day for something so horrible. I walk out of the door and take all the back streets. I don't need people asking questions.

_Reina Luckmere(17), District 9 Female-POV_

I get to the reaping, having not seen my Uncle Spur. I blend into the crowd and get ready to listen to the escort. A man, who is very small and plump, walks onto the stage.

"Welcome, to District 9's first reaping for the Hunger Games!"

The crowd stays silent, so silent that you can almost hear the wind blowing.

"Let's get on shall we... I think we'll choose the young man first," he says eagerly.

He walks over and reaches into the bowl.

"Caleb York"

Who is he? I don't know a Caleb York. A small, thin boy is dragged up by the peacekeepers and he is placed onto the stage. He stands there, his eyes filled with tears. He looks so tiny compared to the large man next to him. Caleb looks like he hasn't washed for days or had a good meal for a while. I can see his eyes shifting from left to right, as if he is trying to find somewhere to escape. That's _not _going to work.

The escort then walks over to pick the female tribute. My heart starts to beat slightly faster.

"Reina Luckmere"

I can almost see Spur's face smirking in the back of my mind. I start walking up to the stage. _What you going to do, cry? You're pathetic. You're going to die and your pathetic excuse for a life will be over._

"Shut up." I whisper.

_Go on cry, do what everyone expects you to do. Be the weak kid that you are and realise that you are going to die. You're going to die. You're going to die._

I keep a straight face but when I reach the stage I cover my ears to stop my horrible thoughts. I can tell everyone is looking at me like I am crazy. I see the escort look at my bruises on my face, arms and legs and his mouth forms an 'O' shape. I look down ashamed of myself.

"Here are your tributes... Caleb York and Reina Luckmere"

The crowd remain silent. They know it's wrong for two kids who look barely alive they are so thin and weak to go into a fight with much stronger kids who have had a good life and actually stand a chance.

I walk off the stage ashamed and go into the justice building.

I sit in the room I am given. It's beautiful, soft seats made of velvet, the walls are even lined with what looks like silver! I don't expect to get any visitors, Spur made it very clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me. I am surprised to see him fall into the room.

"Hello Reina" He says, his breath stinks of alcohol.

_Stand up to him. He can't do anything to you anymore. You're free._

"Get out!" I shout. The anger comes from the pit of my stomach and it feels good.

"What are you talking about, come give your Uncle a hug goodbye" he smiles. His teeth are yellow and broken, he repulses me.

"I want you to leave, now go!" I push him and he falls to the floor. He must be _very_ drunk.

"You can't hurt me anymore, and I don't want to see your nasty face again!" I scream into his face, tears come to my eyes but I blink them away.

"Fine, I brought you this, that's what I get for being nice" He smirks and throws something on the floor. I stare at him back and he wanders out of the room.

I pick up the small bracelet on the floor. My Mother had given it to me for my 5th birthday but Spur thought it would be nice to take it off me when I came to live with him because I didn't deserve anything _nice._ It's made of rough grain and it scratches my wrist slightly but I don't care. I slip it on my wrist and it reminds me that I was once loved and cared about.

_Caleb York(13), District 9 Male-POV_

I follow all the back streets and am left unnoticed. I reach the reaping and join the other thirteen year olds. They all give me odd stares but I just look down and act like they're not there. The escort walks on; he's a short but large man. _I bet the capitol get a lot of food. _He welcomes us and then goes to pick the male tribute. I keep wondering why they talk so weirdly, it must just be the place. He reaches into a large bowl and pulls out a piece of paper. He reads a name into the microphone:

"Caleb York"

They've picked me. I can't go I won't last five minutes in those games. I look around, no-one knows who I am, I make a run for it. I reach the side of the crowd before I am caught by a peacekeeper. He drags me along and puts me on the stage. I can see everyone looks confused. One because they probably don't know me and two because of the way I look. They must think I am one of those people who are so poor they live on the streets. I guess I'm kind of like that. I look down embarrassed and my hair covers my face. The female tribute is then picked.

"Reina Luckmere"

A girl who is also thin and bony like me walks to the stage. When she gets here I notice she has bruises all over her body. Wonder how she got those? She also looks down as if she is ashamed of herself. I think of smiling at her but she never looks up so I can. You can see the crowd are not happy. Two innocent weak children being sent to their most likely death.

Here are your tributes... Caleb York and Reina Luckmere"

I am led off the stage where I am supposed to say goodbye to someone. I sit alone as I have no-one to say goodbye to and admire the room. My parents would have loved it. I wonder if they're proud of me; I hope so.


	11. District 10 Reaping

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

"Daisy isn't getting much better Dad" I say sadly, Daisy is our cow and she was the only hope for us to be able to the pay the full rent for the ranch this month.

"Well... we'll just have to keep looking after her and have a bit of hope" he pats me on the shoulder and walks off to clean out some of the animals.

My Parents, Sister Alexis and I, live on a large, prosperous Ranch where we keep lots of animals. Even though we supposedly own it, we still have to pay rent on it. It causes slight problems but we always deal with it. I have been working with animals since I was able to walk and it has helped me a lot. I learnt how to heal animals as well as people and it has made me a hard working person. My Father and I tend to the animals while my Mother and Alexis do things like household chores and cooking; we make a good team.

I do my daily rounds; I feed the animals, check on Daisy, then I might check the health of some of our main animals and then I'm allowed to go ride my horse for a bit. Its hard work but I don't mind doing it; especially today as I am trying to keep my mind off the reaping. I have to admit I am quite nervous, but more for what I leave behind. If I was to go, my Father would struggle to keep everything in check. I am the only one that is able to treat the animals and heal them and he wouldn't know what to do. Even though Alexis is nineteen and four years older than me, she still doesn't know as much, but she is perfectly happy to stay at home. I think she's too lazy to do any manual labour, but I don't dare tell her that.

"Dad, I've got to get ready for the reaping, I'll see you later," I shout. I don't think he's heard me but he waves his hand to let me know he heard.

I stroll in side and take my muddy boots off.

"I'm home Mum and I'm going to go get ready" I call.

"Ok sweetie but be quick you haven't got long!" she calls back.

I walk upstairs into my bedroom and look for an outfit for the reaping. I put on a light green top with a high-waist white skirt and some brown cowboy boots; It will do. I throw on the clothes and let my hair lose so my long sun streaked light brown curls fall to the bottom of my ribs. My warm brown eyes are left bare and I don't put on any make-up. I find my horse shoe pendant necklace which I believe brings me good luck and fasten it round my neck. _Let's hope it works for the reaping._

When I'm finished I walk downstairs to join my family.

"Why are you wearing cowboy boots Savannah?" My Mother asks.

"They're comfy ok!" They laugh at me and I just pull a face at them.

When their done making fun of me, we all leave for the reaping.

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

"Claude, what are you doing?" I ask.

"Just...nothing can you leave me alone I'm trying to work Luka" he doesn't take is eyes off the computer he is working on.

"I said, what are you doing? What's the problem of spending five seconds to tell me?" I feel my face start to go red and my voice getting louder.

"And I said leave me alone!" he raises his voice at me.

"DON'T SHOUT AT ME!" I shout angrily, I push him from behind and he jolts into the table. I hear him let out a pained groan but he quickly covers it up.

"All I've done is be nice to you Luka, help you out, and lately you've been acting like a spoiled brat, why are you being so ungrateful!" he is starting to go red too, I just give him a blunt look and storm off into my bedroom and slam the door behind me.

I sit on my bed and put my head in my hands. Why do I act like this? I should just be grateful for Claude but I'm just being an immature kid. I think I'm just worried for the Reaping, that's why I am acting so strange. Yeah, that's it.

If you're wondering Claude is my legal guardian... He was my Fathers best friend since they were five and my Father trusted his life with him. Six years ago when I was nine, my parents and my two younger siblings; my brother JJ and my sister Modrashy were killed. I never found out what happened to them but I suspect the Capitol. My Father wasn't the person to follow rules and he tended to do some illegal things so that could have been a reason. I was at school when it happened and I got home to find them dead. It changed me I guess, going through that emotional pain and I tend to have slight changes in my behaviour from time to time; but Claude is right I should be grateful of him. I'm just not in a right state of mind at the moment.

I find some black trousers, a black shirt and a purple coat to wear for the reaping. I run my hands through my light brown hair trying to make it look presentable. Parts of it stick up slightly but I decide it will do. I walk slowly down stairs hoping Claude isn't still annoyed at me. He should understand that it's going to be a hard day due to the reaping. I walk over to him and go to apologise. He stops me and rests his hand on my shoulder.

"It's ok Luka, I know you just lost your temper and I forgive you" He smiles at me and then walks away to grab his coat.

I look down and scratch my head confused. Is that it? He isn't even angry?

"Come on Luka it's time to go" He walks out the door and I follow him where we stroll down the road happily and I almost forget where I am heading to.

_Savannah King(15), District 10 Female-POV_

"Let's pick our brave young women who will represent District 10 in the first annual Hunger Games!" Our escort says enthusiastically. She is a thin woman who has pink hair like candy floss and ghostly pale skin.

She walks over to the bowl containing the girls' names and places her hand in carefully. She mixes the names and then snaps one up.

"Savannah King"

I've been chosen for those deadly games. Why me? All I do is help people and try my best in everything I do. Tears appear in my eyes and a few escape streaming down my face. I let them stay there; why give the capitol the satisfaction of me covering up my tears; they should know how evil they are. They've already hurt me before physically and now their sending me to my death. I walk to the stage with my head held high. When I reach it I look straight at a camera and give it an angry stare. That should annoy them; a thin, weak looking little girl not being defeated by their games.

"And the male tribute is..."

"Martin Mesuti"

Martin walks to the stage, he came from the twelve section and he is very small for his age. Suddenly, a tall boy from the fifteens shouts,

"No JJ stop... I mean... I Volunteer!"

Everyone gasps. Why did he say JJ? The boys name is Martin... this boy is either deaf or stupid; and I'm going to go with the latter. You'd have to be to volunteer for the games.

The boy I realise is Luka Kingston Jeredi; I was in a class with when I was younger. He was a nice boy but when his family were killed he changed. He looks slightly ghostly now... almost dead. I guess finding your family dead can destroy a person. He walks up to the stage boldly and stands next to me.

"And what is your name?" the escort asks.

He stands not saying a word.

"Hello?" she waves her hand in front of his face and he carries on just staring ahead silently.

"Um... his names Luka" I say, my voice echoes around the square and I find myself giggling slightly at how weird I sound.

"Oh thank you, here are our tributes...Savannah King and ... um ... Luka"

We both walk off the stage and we look at each other quickly but I look away awkwardly. I can still see his icy blue eyes looking me up and down as if he's analysing me. Maybe he remembers me from when we were younger? Or he's just looking at the competition. He's very tall for his age but also thin; I think I would be stronger than him if we were to fight.

I pace up and down in the room I was given in the justice building. How can you say goodbye when you know you probably won't come back? My parents come in with Alexis and we all have some sort of group hug. They all cry and I try to stay strong but it doesn't work and I end up crying too.

"Alexis, you need to start studying health and healing so you can help Dad on the ranch ok? That's all I need you to do." She nods but it doesn't convince me.

They all leave and I decide something. I need to try and get home because I know that they need me a lot more than I realised.

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

I find the escorts' introduction speech a tad boring so I zoned out for basically the whole thing. It was something about how she was glad to be here blah blah blah... a message from the president blah blah blah. The escort then picks the female tribute.

"Savannah King"

A pretty girl walks up to the stage bravely. Her head is held high but her cheeks sparkle with tears. The escort then picks the male tribute.

"Martin Mesuti"

A small boy who is twelve walks onto the stage looking terrified. He has light brown hair and pale blue eyes... like me. JJ? Is that my little brother? It can't be he's dead, or is he? I can't let him go into the Hunger Games! I've got to stop this.

"No JJ stop... I mean... I volunteer!"

Everyone gasps and looks at me. I walk boldly up to the stage, my face hard and determined. Why is everyone looking at me weirdly? Of course I'd volunteer for my brother!

I get closer and go to hug him... wait that's not JJ... what have I done? I really am messed up aren't I. I stand next to my district partner and stare blankly into the crowd.

"And what is your name?" the escort asks.

I stand not saying anything. I can't believe what I have done. But I couldn't have let JJ or even that little kid get sent into the games. Maybe it was my sub conscious telling me it was JJ so I acted faster and volunteered. I've done something good anyway, so maybe luck will be on my side for doing so and I will win. I can wish.

"Hello?" she waves her hand in front of my face. What is she doing? Crazy capitol woman. _This is going to be a long week._

"Um... his names Luka" Savannah says, she giggles slightly, what's so funny?

"Oh thank you, here are our tributes...Savannah King and ... um ... Luka" the escort says.

I get taken off the stage and led to the justice building. I look at Savannah and her big brown eyes stare back at me. She quickly looks away obviously embarrassed but I don't care. She looks quite strong, I'm sure her family owns one of the biggest ranches in District 10; maybe she helps out and it gave her some muscle.

I wait for Claude in the room I am in. He walks in and just stares at me.

"Why did you volunteer Luka?"

"I ... um... felt bad for the kid, him being small and weak" I don't want to tell him the real thing; he will definitely think I'm mad.

"Well... I guess that was rather nice of you, and I'm very proud of you" He smiles and wraps me in his arms. It feels just how it did when I used to hurt myself when I was younger and my Father would comfort me.

"Have you got a token?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm going to take this watch" I hold out my wrist and I have on it a fob watch my Dad got me.

We say goodbye and he looks at me with sad eyes as he leaves. I realise I'm the only family he has left. I wonder if he sees me how I saw my family when I found them. Already dead.


	12. District 11 Reaping

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

I soar from tree to tree, the wind rushing on my face and through my hair. My heart races every time I jump from a tree, not knowing if I will make the other. I get to the end of the orchards and climb down to the grass beneath me. I run through the meadow, brushing my hands against the high corn stalks. I can hear voices near me, and I peer through the thin stalks to see who it is. I am covered by the stalks as I am very short and skinny and I can see my younger siblings who are twins sitting on the floor opposite each other talking.

"You know it's the reaping today don't you?" My sister Hayley says.

"Yeah how can I not? Anyway we can't be reaped so we're fine." My brother Kale replies.

"I know but Linden, Lynley and Ashley could get reaped" Hayley says. Linden is my older brother who is seventeen and Lynley is my older sister who is fifteen.

"I think if any of them were to be reaped, I'd be worried for Ashley" Kale looks down in what looks like sadness.

"And why do you say that?" Hayley asks.

"Well... Linden is really big and strong like a typical District 11 boy and Lynley might not be the strongest or fastest but she can climb and she is outgoing and friendly so people would love her. Ashley... she is just really quiet and I doubt she is good at running and climbing; she's just so small!" He looks slightly ashamed of what he has just said, but he believes it and it kind of hurts.

I have to admit, I am really quiet and shy but they haven't seen me in the orchards. I can climb higher than Lynley and I'm faster than her too.

Hayley carries on, "I guess... but I think if any of them were to go, I'd miss Ashley the most".

That makes me feel good; knowing that if I was to go my family would miss me.

"I agree, I'd miss the others obviously but Ash the most, she's the nicest of the three."

I don't hear anymore as I head home to get ready for the reaping.

I walk through the door and my Mother is standing by the door waiting.

"Where have you been?"

"I was... at the orchard" I look down guiltily.

"What did I tell you, I understand being there when you have to work but they're not safe when no-one is there to keep an eye on you!"

"I know Mum I'm sorry," I walk upstairs to my room and close the door. I understand why she is worried, but sometimes it can be annoying not having any trust.

When I was younger, my father was out harvesting in the Orchard. No-one was there as it wasn't technically harvesting season. There was an accident, and my Father died because of it. My Mother get's very worried about her children being there but we have no choice, we have to harvest.

I get my outfit out for the reaping; it's a white sun dress and some brown sandals. My caramel coloured skin glows against the white of the dress. I leave my dark brown hair down and it comes just past my shoulders. I find my necklace I always wear; not at the orchards though, I'd hate to lose it. It's a silver chain and on it is my Fathers ring. The silver ring is engraved with a pattern like a tree's branches; probably to do with the district. I fasten it around neck and I head downstairs.

My family wait by the door, we all look so similar; except for Linden who looks like our Father. The same caramel skin, straight brown hair, big brown eyes and small and thin. I am the smallest, even smaller than Hayley and she is younger than me. We all leave, and I decide I'm not annoyed with my brother and sister for saying what they said, I couldn't be at mad them, I love my family too much.

_Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV_

I stare at the wall; I've been doing this for days now. Why? I'm not really sure. It could be the fact that I no longer have anything to live for. Or that I have constant regret every day. I can't help but think that I shouldn't be alive right now; that I should be up in the sky looking down on my beautiful family, but the opposite has happened. I don't mind being alone now, there is no-one else alive that I do care about, so what's the point of being with people who I don't care about. I put my head in my hands.

"Oh Malaya, I wish you were here right now"

I can almost clearly hear the sweet sound of her voice replying.

"Stop being silly Brock, I am here with you and you need to get your life back together... you know the reaping is today you've got to go or you'll be in trouble, now get up and go get ready"

I follow her orders in some sort of robotic fashion. I go to my cupboard where I keep my clothes and put on some black trousers and a dark blue shirt. I rummage through a draw to find a comb for my hair and I come across a small bit of blue cloth. It was Theo's.

Theo was my son. Malaya and I had him when she was fifteen and I was sixteen. Even though he was an accident, I couldn't have loved anything more. I met Malaya when I was twelve and I loved her the first time I saw her. The way her brown eyes shined when the sun hit them and how she could run for miles or climb to the top of the highest tree. We didn't mean for her to get pregnant but after she had Theo we couldn't have been happier. My life was perfect but then it all changed during the rebellion. I was out fighting against the Capitol and I thought my family would be safe at home; but I was wrong. The capitol dropped a small bomb on the road we lived on and it destroyed it. I returned from the war, to find my parents house and my own wrecked. Malaya and Theo had been in our house and they were killed as well as my parents. I didn't know what to do with myself and I guess I've taken to imagining Malaya as kind of a conscious to get me through everything.

"Now, you need to go to the reaping and I'll see you soon" her voice fades into a whisper and she is gone.

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

I stand at the reaping, surrounded by a few girls crying. Luckily, them crying draws attention away from me and I can stay unnoticed. Our escort, who if I didn't know was from the capitol and she didn't have the obvious things that capitol people have I would of thought she was from District 11. She has dark caramel skin but it has swirls and patterns painted in gold across it; which actually look nice.

"Hello District 11, here is a message from your president!"

Once the message is over she picks the male tribute.

"Brock Stern"

A boy comes out of the eighteens section; you can't really call him a boy though he looks more like a man. He looks just like a typical District 11 man, dark skin, tall, big built and strong. Brock has black hair and light brown eyes but he seems so sad. He walks up to the stage straight faced and he looks kind of angry. He then just stands on the stage staring; not even showing a tad of emotion. The escort then picks the female tribute.

"Ashley Blake"

I hear a group of gasps as I make my way to the stage. I begin to cry and once I start I can't stop. I feel myself gasping for air as I can't stop crying. Hayley and Kale were right; I'm going to die. How am I going to survive against all the other tributes? What if there big and strong like my district partner? I reach the stage and stand wiping my cheeks. I swear I see Brock look at me with some pity but I can't be sure seeing as my eyes are blurred from my tears.

"Here are District 11's tributes-Brock Stern and Ashley Blake"

I wait in the room I was given in the justice building. My family walk in and wrap me into a hug.

"My little girl can't go into them games" My Mother says tears running down her cheeks.

"I'll be fine Mum; I'm going to try my hardest to get home for you guys ok?"

They all look at me like they don't believe me. Why would they?

"We're going to miss you so much Ash!" Hayley says also crying.

As they leave the room I make a promise to myself. I'm not going to just try to make it home for them; _I will make it home for them._

_Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV_

I stand among the other eighteen year olds. I feel so much older than them; they haven't been through as much as I have, for sure. My escort walks onto the stage glowing with gold paint. I wonder what it would be like to live in the capitol. If I did, my family wouldn't have died and I probably would be overly excited about the Hunger Games. It's weird when you realise how different your life could of been if you lived in a completely different environment. The escort puts her hand into the bowl to pick one of our fates.

"Brock Stern"

I keep a straight face; I can't show my true emotions. I feel like shouting, punching a wall, anything to let out my anger. I walk up to the stage and stare out into the crowd. I see Malaya standing there holding Theo. She looks at me pitifully and hugs Theo close. I just want to go and see them, one last time.

The escort then picks the female tribute.

"Ashley Blake"

A small girl walks up to the stage gasping and crying. She looks a bit like Malaya when she was younger, but so do all the other girls in District 11. She looks at me with her tear filled eyes and I look back but I turn away quickly. I can't feel pity for this girl; especially if she might be killed in the next few weeks; and it's most likely looking at her. She seems so small and weak like she couldn't hurt a fly.

"Here are District 11's tributes-Brock Stern and Ashley Blake"

I sit alone like usual in a room in the justice building. I press the little bit of cloth I found earlier which was Theo's to my cheek.

"I miss you so much" I whisper.

Malaya appears in front of me holding Theo.

"We miss you too Brock" she says smiling.

I run over to her and pull them both into my arms. I feel tears appear in my eyes; I've never been so happy to see them.

I press my forehead against hers, "I love you both so much" I say.

"And we love you too, good luck Brock"

And as if by magic, they both fade away. I miss them straight after they disappear and I decide I can't bare another second without them.

"I'll see you very soon, I promise."


	13. District 12 Reaping

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

"Sasha there is no need to be worried you will not be picked at the reaping!" I say reassuring my best friend.

"There is a chance though seeing as..." my other best friend Irins says.

"Irins! You are not making things any better!" I say.

"Sorry... I mean... I agree with Anna" he rolls his eyes and laughs.

We walk through District 12 as if it's any other day; I know it's not, because it is the reaping but I don't want to think of it, otherwise I will find myself feeling scared and I don't like that feeling. I was like that during the Rebellion and being scared didn't help anyone who was being killed; including my Father. He was killed fighting for our rights, and I've never been more proud of anyone in my life.

We reach the house of the fourth person in our little group. I walk up to the door and knock.

He opens the door, "Hey Dion" I say smiling, I might have had a crush on him since forever, how could I not! He is extremely good looking, with shiny blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes.

"Hi Annalisa, how you feeling for later?" he says.

"Um, I'm ok, but Sasha isn't so don't mention the reaping what so ever" He nods and we all carry on walking.

We reach the very rich part of the district and I look around amazed. I've always wanted to live here, the houses are so big and luxurious; I doubt there anything against the ones in the capitol but compared to my average looking house they are amazing.

"I have to go, I promised my Mum I would be home early for the reaping" I say sadly. I wish I could stay there longer.

Everyone waves goodbye and I head home. I reach my house and my brother Marcello is sitting outside on our door step.

"Why you sitting outside Marcello?" he looks up at me and his eyes are filled with tears. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just nervous about the reaping... if only I was one year younger I wouldn't be able to be reaped yet" he says.

"I know, but it's just the way things are" I walk inside and my Mother is standing in the kitchen. She is a stay at home Mum but she makes herbal potions for a living.

"Where have you been? I told you to be home early" she says, her hand on her hip looking at me questioningly. She loses concentration though as her potion she is making starts to overflow.

"Sorry Mum, I lost track of time, I'll go get ready now, oh and by the way if you add honey to that it won't overflow"

"How do you even..." she mumbles as she goes to get some honey from the cupboard.

I walk upstairs to my room and choose some clothes to wear. I put on a long black dress with some black mary-janes. I pin back my long, curly ebony hair away from my face with a green firework hairpin which makes my bright green eyes look like their almost glowing.

"Mum, I'm ready to go..." I call.

The three of us leave the house for the reaping.

_Oliver Istas (16), District 12 Male-POV_

My best friend Terran and I walk through the richer streets of District 12. We've been hanging around most of the morning, chatting to girls; I even got a date with one of them. I would say I am rather popular and I am pretty good with getting girls; I just have to look at them with my stormy grey eyes and flick my dusty blonde hair to the side and they become weak at the knees. It's just a gift I guess.

"Oliver I have to go get ready for the reaping, I'll see you there?" Terran says.

"Yeah sure, see you there" We walk separate ways as Terran lives in the average part of the district while I live in the richer side.

I wouldn't say I was stuck up like some of the rich kids that live around here and I don't show off my wealth. I even hang around with a few people who live in the Seam if there out with the people I'm with at the time. I would say I've had a normal life, I'm an only child and I live with both my parents. My parents are both nice and they are supportive of what I do and they have tried giving me a good life. I appreciate them for that, especially when you see some people's parents.

I reach my house and walk into my quiet house. My parents must be here somewhere, probably reading or watching T.V. I doubt the television will show anything interesting, it will probably just be about the Hunger Games, the reaping or what the escorts will be wearing today. I walk up to the second floor in our house and go into my room. I go into my wardrobe and find something to wear for the reaping. I find a white shirt of my dad's that he lent me for the reaping and some brown trousers and brown shoes. I leave my room and venture round my house to find my parents.

"Mum...Dad... you here?" I call.

"Oliver where have you been I've been waiting for you so we can leave!" my Mother walks round the corner making me jump.

"I've been looking for you!" I say. That's the only thing bad about this house, it might not be the biggest but it has so many rooms no-one can ever find the person they are looking for.

"Where's Dad?" I ask.

"He's already left for the reaping, come on or we're going to be late!"

We both leave, and it's only now I realise how worried I am about the reaping.

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

"I will now pick the female tribute!" the over enthusiastic escort announces.

She looks so bright and colourful compared to the greyish streets of District 12. You can tell she isn't the happiest to have this district; we're the poorest and she's probably worried she'll get weak children from the seam that gets barely any food. She walks over to the bowl containing the females' names and mixes the names with her hand. She walks back over to the microphone and reads out the name of that unlucky girl.

"Annalisa Soleil"

I'm that unlucky girl. I walk up to the stage but I keep a straight face for my little brother and friends. I feel like I need to win these games, to show Panem what the capitol does and to win this for my father, so he didn't die for nothing. I stand on the stage, and stare straight into one of the cameras, showing the capitol that they can't destroy me yet.

The escort then picks the male tribute.

"Oliver Istas"

A good looking boy walks straight up to the stage with a straight face like mine. He's good looking and you can tell he's from the richer part of the district just by his sturdy body type as most of the boys here are skinny and weak.

"Here are your tributes, Annalisa Soleil and Oliver Istas!"

We walk off the stage and I smile at Oliver; his face is full of worry. He smiles back and I hope this means he isn't thinking about killing me yet.

My friends come in first to say goodbye. I hug Sasha first as she is crying and then I hug Irins after. I'll miss these two a lot; they would make my time in the capitol so much funnier. Then there's Dion. I look at my crush; I imagined we would go out sometime in the future, but I guess that will never happen. I can't think like that though, I need to believe that I can win or it will never happen. I say goodbye to them all and they leave.

My Mother and Marcello come in next, and they are crying.

"I can't believe you got chosen, I was so busy worrying about myself I didn't think it would be you" Marcello cries into my Mother's shirt and she comforts him.

"I know, but I'm fine, really" I say.

They hug me goodbye and they leave too. I sit alone in the room and think. I need to win. For them.

_Oliver Istas (16), District 12 Male-POV_

I stand with Terran in the sixteen's section at the reaping. He looks as nervous as I am. The escort talks for a bit and then she picks the female tribute.

"Annalisa Soleil"

A tall girl walks up to the stage with a straight face showing no emotion. She looks annoyed, I don't know who at though, maybe the Capitol? Or the President? She stands on the stage and keeps the same expression on her face. The escort then picks the male tribute.

"Oliver Istas"

I look at Terran and he just stares back at me in shock. _Do what that girl did. _I walk up to the stage with the same expression as the girl. I want to look somewhat annoyed at what has just happened and not show any weakness.

"Here are your tributes, Annalisa Soleil and Oliver Istas!"

I walk off the stage and Annalisa smiles at me. She has the loveliest smile, one that could instantly make you feel better. I smile back at her. She seems nice; I wish I had met her before all this had happened.

Terran walks into the room I was given in the justice building. We stand awkwardly not really knowing what to do.

"I brought you this... thought it could be your token" He holds out a ring in his hand. I remember him showing me when we were younger and him telling me it was the best thing he owned.

"Thanks Terran, I know how much you loved this" I take the ring and slide it on my finger. I hug him goodbye and he leaves. I really will miss my best friend.

My parents come in next and they cry; a lot. They will miss their only child, I guess you would. They hug me goodbye and tell me they love me and that they believe I can come home.

I'm not too sure if their right.

* * *

And that is the final reaping. Yay:D! I hope you've enjoyed reading the reapings and I'd love to hear what you thought of them and the tributes so review! I will write the next chapter and update as soon as possible but it might be sometime next week.

Thanks for reading, _EllaC14:)_


	14. Train Journey To The Capitol

_Araluen Osman (18), District 2 Male-POV_

I leave the justice building on the way to the train which will take us to the Capitol. Micah and I walk side by side, while we are being filmed by a camera. One of the men carrying a camera asks,

"Micah, why did you volunteer?"

Micah looks at them and grins, "Because I can win!"

Our escort who I find out is called 'Flame' pulls us away and I find myself standing in front of the train. It pulls into a speedy stop and I stand in amazement. The shiny metallic silver doors slide open and I step inside. The train is covered in golden walls, with traces of silver along the edges. We walk through into what seems like a living area. The furniture looks even more luxurious to what was in the justice building and it looks like it would cost a fortune.

"Wow" Micah says in awe.

"I know... have you been in one of these before?" I ask.

"No I've always wanted to though, you?"

"No... I wonder if the tributes from District 6 have before, seeing as they're the transportation district" I say.

"Maybe, it's up to the capitol though..." Micah walks off to talk to Flame and I join them.

"So... Flame right? Where is my room I'm so tired!" Micah says, she swoons and acts like she is about to collapse and I laugh.

"I'm absolutely shattered!" I say in my best Capitol accent. Micah lets out a loud laugh and I join her.

Flame stares at us disapprovingly and points down the train to two doors opposite each other.

"Araluen yours is on the right, Micah yours is on the left; dinner will be at seven sharp, don't be late!" she shoos us away and we both walk towards the doors.

"What's wrong with her? We're only lightening the mood..." Micah says, she shrugs her shoulders and opens the door to her room.

"Well... I guess I'll see you later then" she closes the door behind her.

"See you..." I say walking into my own room.

_Flair Rhodes (15), District 5 Female-POV_

"Oh...my...god...this...is...the...boun...ci...est...bed...ever!" I jump up and down on my bed I have been given on the train; I have to admit doing this has made me feel a lot better.

Jackal knocks on my door and walks into my room.

"Preston says that dinner is at... what are you doing?" he looks at me confused and I spring off the bed to stand in front of him.

"You have got to try bouncing on these beds it is so fun!" I say slightly out of breath from jumping.

He pushes his glasses up on his face and says, "I'd rather not... and by the way if you're out of breath from just jumping on the bed how are you going to cope fighting with another tribute" he walks out of the door and calls back, "As I was saying, dinner is at seven and don't be late!"

I lie on my bed and close my eyes. This day really has been tiring. I know Jackal is wrong though, I might seem the unlikely competition, but I am actually good at running and I'm good at hand to hand combat! I used to play fight with my cousins all the time and I won most times!

My district partner does seem a bit sure of himself. He said to me earlier, "I could win this with my eyes closed" I mean...seriously? Is he sure? By my point of view the weedy boy who is staying across the hall will probably die in the first five minutes. I could easily beat him...

As I drift off to sleep, I can't help but wonder what the other tributes are like...

_Caleb York (13), District 9 Male-POV_

I leave my room at five to seven to make sure I am at dinner on time. I can't wait for something to eat. I wonder what we will have; anything would be better than the wheat stalks I've been eating. I reach the dining area and stand in shock.

The table is laid out with any food you could think of. I feel my mouth start to water staring at all the delicious food. I hear Reina shut her door to her room and she comes to join me.

"Why are you just standing... oh wow" She stands the same way I am, just staring.

Looking at her, I can tell she hasn't had much to eat in her life either; she also has bruises all over her skin which must not help with the looking weak aspect.

Our escort Rupert walks into the room. He rubs his large stomach; he obviously has had enough to eat.

"Mmm, what have we got for dinner tonight?" He licks his lips and sits down on one of the seats around the table. "Come on kids, eat up!"

Reina and I exchange looks and then look back at the table. We slowly walk over and take a seat next to each other. I pick up a plate and pile my food on. There is so much to choose from I don't know what to eat. I decide on a chicken stew for a starter and I begin to stuff my face.

"This is so good!" I say, while chewing.

"I know!" Reina says, "I've never had anything so good in my life!"

We both sit shovelling food into our mouths.

"You two act like you've never been fed!" Rupert says.

We both look at each other again and smile slightly. We both know that neither of us gets enough food, you would think our escort would realise that by looking at us.

"Well... we haven't really" Reina says awkwardly still shovelling food into her mouth; I notice she is only eating vegetables though. Why would you not try some sort of meat or filling food when you've lived on grain all your life?

"Reina why don't you try this stew it's lovely" I say, handing over the bowl full.

"No it's ok, I'm a vegetarian"

"That's not going to help you in the arena..." the escort mumbles.

"And why is that?" she says.

"What if you can't find any other food besides meat in the arena? You're going to have to eat it if you want to live" he says.

"I didn't really think of that..." she says dropping her head slightly.

"You can sort it out later on I guess" Rupert says, he gets up from the table and tucks his chair in. "Also, if I was you two, I would calm down on eating that food so fast; if what your saying is true and you don't eat much; because you're going to make yourselves sick" he leaves the table and sits in the sofa area.

I feel my stomach squirm slightly and I stand up.

"I think I'm going to be sick!"

I run to the bathroom and throw up my first meal courtesy of the Capitol.

_Kadence Smith (14), District 3 Female-POV_

"Lin, Kadence, come and sit down the Reapings are about to be shown!" Our escort Fifi announces excitedly.

I walk over to the plush sofa and sit down. The giant plasma screen in front of me glows and the Capitols emblem appears. I have to admit I am slightly eager to see the other tributes and if any actually volunteered.

1 and 2 aren't too shocking; they all seem typical kids of them districts. The girl from 2 volunteered but by the way she acts it seems like she planned it. It does worry me though to think I might have to fight for my life against one of them soon.

Then there is Lin and I, we both look so small and young compared to the first two districts. District 4 appears next and I feel a slight bit of fear creep through my body. The girl looks like she trains for a living and the boy doesn't look exactly the weakest. They both volunteer but I think the boy only does because his brother was reaped... I will have to find out about that.

Districts 5 is next and they seem rather plain looking, but the girl looks like she could be nice; maybe I can talk to her when we reach the Capitol. District 6 follows and there seems to be slight a commotion. The boy volunteers for his brother which is understandable, but the girl literally has a breakdown and her sister does too by the look of it.

Districts 7 seem normal and both volunteer from 8; I think the girl was saving her sister and I'm not really sure about the boy.

I feel sorry for the District 9 tributes; the boy seems so skinny like he hasn't eaten for days and the girls skin is covered in bruises. District 10 also have one volunteer which is the boy but I don't understand why either.

The girl from 11 also seems like she could be nice but the boy actually scares me slightly. He seems more like a man and looks big and strong. District 12 is last and they both look like average kids. The Capitol emblem shows at the end and then the screen goes blank.

"Did that help you two?" Fifi asks.

"It actually did, I know who I should maybe stay clear of at least" Lin says.

"Like who?" I ask. I already know some but I want to hear what he thinks anyway.

"Well... Districts 1, 2 and 4 seem quite strong and able to fight and the male from 11 looks incredibly dangerous"

I nod in agreement. Lin seems very intelligent so I'm going to listen to what he thinks.

"I wouldn't just look at who you need to hide from" Fifi says. "I would also look for allies"

"Allies?" I say confused.

"Alliances, you would help each other survive basically but you would probably want to split up later on if you both survive because you don't want to have to kill each other" Fifi laughs and Lin and I just stare at her. "It isn't for everyone I guess and you would expect people to stay with their district partner or you might choose someone from a different district; but it's something you two might want to think about" Fifi leaves and goes into her room.

I go to my own room and lay in bed. _Allies; I could use some of those._

* * *

We're on the way to the Capitol *Yay!* I hope you liked that chapter and I'm sorry for the late update I couldn't write for a few days. I will be able to update more often from now on though. Also, I'd like to hear what you think of the tributes so review! And if you want to hear from a certain tribute more just tell me.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, _EllaC14:)_


	15. Arriving In The Capitol

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

My eyes flutter open as I lay in bed. I had the same dream as always last night and consequently got barely any sleep. I sit up and rest my head against the wall; yesterday was an eventful day. I climb out of bed and wander into my bathroom. I switch on the shower which I realised yesterday is very hard to use. The water scolds my skin slightly where I still can't control the temperatures but it feels good against my skin. I press a few buttons and I use a lemon scented shampoo to wash my tousled blonde hair. I step out of the shower, wrap a towel around myself and walk back into my room to find my district partner Loki sitting on my bed.

"Loki!" I say startled, "What are you doing in here!"

"Oh god sorry" he covers his eyes and I laugh.

"It's ok I don't care you just scared me that's all" I say and he slowly moves his hands from his eyes.

"I just came here to ask you what you thought of all the other tributes" he says.

"And why would I tell you?" I say, "I mean, we are technically against each other now."

"I just needed to talk to someone I guess, I don't like thinking that in less than a week we could be killing someone, do you get what I mean?"

"Not really..." I say bluntly, I do though, I really do; but I can't show my weakness it won't help me in the long run; even if it's just said to Loki.

"Oh well if that's how you want to be..." he walks out of the room and he seemed slightly annoyed.

"What's his problem" I mumble to myself.

I walk over to my clothes draw I have been given on the train and I put on some more casual clothes; a pink blouse and some black jeans and I leave my hair down.

I walk into the train cart where we ate dinner last night and Loki and our escort looking more dyed blue than before sit around the table.

"Hello Mercy come take a seat" Our escort who is ironically called Bluebelle says smiling.

I sit next to Loki and get some cereal for breakfast. I see a woman who I guess is a waitress.

"Hi, could you get me some juice please?" I ask her. She nods and leaves the room.

"Wow, she's quiet" I say.

"That's an avox darling they can't talk" Bluebelle says.

"An Avox? What's that?"

"Let's just say they did something bad, they were punished and now they have to serve us"

I nod as if I understand but I don't really. What have they done to make her not talk? Was the thing she did that bad that they had to punish her so severely?

"Anyway, we'll be arriving in the Capitol later this afternoon so be ready for then, and make sure you look nice; there will be cameras" She excuses herself from the table and leaves obviously to go pick out an outfit which doesn't clash with blue.

"You better go get ready; you have _a lot_ of work to do" Loki says gesturing to myself and laughing. I push him jokingly and begin to leave.

"Maybe you should listen to your own advice" I say laughing too.

_Poseidon Hensworth (16) District 4 Male-POV_

"The train will be arriving at the Capitol in 1 hour!" Our escort Wavell says.

"Are you excited?" I ask Aria. She looks back at me, her sea green eyes shining.

"I'm not really sure, I'm kind of nervous; people in the Capitol will expect something of me, seeing as I volunteered..." She looks down almost sadly. "But I'm excited at the same time; I haven't been training for nothing and I almost can't wait to see the Capitol"

"Do you like the Capitol for what they have done?" I ask.

"Of course not, who would like how they killed so many people and these games will probably kill more! I blame them for killing my brother, but it's something we have to deal with if we want to live peacefully"

I think it's the most talkative I have ever seen her, but I do wonder if she realises what she actually just said. _It's something we have to deal with if we want to live peacefully._ But we're not going to live peacefully; we might not live at all because we are in these games.

"Yeah, I guess"

I leave and go into my room. I need to find an outfit which says good looking but tough. Basically an outfit which the Capitol woman will love and they will hopefully sponsor me.

Wavell told us earlier, that when we are in the arena people from the outside in the Capitol can send you things you need like food, water or maybe a weapon. The further into the games, the more the items will cost. So I have decided I need to try and get as many sponsors as possible in case I need something in the arena.

I put on a blue shirt to match my eyes and some khaki shorts; I don't want to look too dressed up. I neaten my hair and then I leave my room where I bump into Aria. She is wearing a dark green blouse and a tight black skirt. She looks nice and you can tell it's for the same reason as what I am doing.

"You look nice" I say.

"You don't look too bad yourself" she says, blushing slightly. She's shyer than I thought she would be.

"Aria, Poseidon, come look we're about to enter the Capitol!" Wavell says excitedly.

I stand by the window and look out to see the marvellous Capitol.

_Jackal West (14), District 5 Male-POV_

I grin as I press my face against the window to get a better view of the Capitol. Flair screeches in excitement as she spots the tall shiny buildings and the colourful scenery.

"Ah we're here!" Flair says jumping up and down.

We pull up at the train station and there are so many people just to watch or carrying cameras. I wave through the window at them and they all wave back excitedly. I become frustrated though as Flair is jumping around so much that the crowd just love her enthusiasm. I'm not sure whether she's playing a game but if she is its working. I don't see how she can be so excited; does she not remember what we are actually on our way to? The Capitol people are so strange; they all have different coloured hair and clothes. They have dyed skin, most of them are artificial and they have all tried to make themselves look younger.

"Come on you two we have to get off now!" Our escort Preston says.

I leave the window and stand in front of the sliding doors I had entered the train on only yesterday. The doors open and I am blinded by the flashing of cameras.

"Just keep walking and don't answer too many questions" Preston says pushing us slightly forward.

"Jackal, are you excited for the games?"

"Jackal, do you think you can win?"

"Jackal, are you worried to see the other tributes?"

People with microphones surround us asking questions. I don't know who to answer and it all gets a bit too much.

"Can you move back please that's really annoying what you are doing!" I say, some look shocked but I don't see why; I am only expressing my thoughts. Flair giggles slightly but she is disrupted by many questions herself.

We are pushed further through the crowd and we reach a tall building which we enter the doors too. The building is very luxurious; it shines and is dazzling to look at. Preston leads us into a lift and the doors slam shut. There are numbered buttons on the wall, going from 1 to 12; obviously each number represents each districts floor. Preston presses the 5 button and we speed upwards towards our new home.

* * *

Hope you liked this chapter and we're in the Capitol now *Yay!* Sorry if this wasn't as long as the other chapters but it is just kind of an introduction to the Capitol chapters. And it will be the Chariot rides soon which should be good :D... Please review what you think (I really love reviews) and I hope your enjoying the story.

_EllaC14:)_


	16. Chariot Ride Preperation

_Itzel Minx (14) District 7 Male-POV_

We walk onto our floor in the Capitol and I stand in amazement as the lift doors open. My eyes almost hurt looking at the colourful living area. When we arrived in the Capitol it was a shock to see so many bright lights and colours but being up close is so much better. I didn't warm up to the Capitol people though; they just reminded me that the Capitol killed my family members.

I walk into the living area and sit down next to Lili on the sofa. Our escort Olive stands in front of us.

"Right you two... you will both go with your prep teams now which will get you looking nice and presentable and then you will meet your stylist which will ready you for the Chariot rides!"

"Chariot rides?" I say confused, why do we need to do that.

"It will basically show you off to the people of the Capitol, let them see you and they can get an idea of who they want to sponsor."

So we're being shown off like prized pigs. _Great._

I stand in the bright white room where I have been left to face my prep team. I stand with just a light shirt type sheet which just covers my body slightly. Three women run in excitedly,

"Ooh look who we got, he's nice" The youngest one of the three say.

"Shush Daisy; you need to stay professional..." The eldest says.

"You have to agree Petunia; he is good looking for a District boy!" The girl aged in the middle adds.

They all giggle together; I don't like how they are making fun. I wouldn't say I am good looking, I thought I looked more bad looking than good. And I also can't help but wonder aren't these girls a tad young for this job?

"Ok Lavender, we better start" Daisy says. Wow; flower names, are they sure?

"What's your name seven boy?" Petunia says.

"Itzel Minx" I say frowning.

"Ok Itzel, you're going to have to take your sheet off now, we need to get a good look at you" she replies.

I feel myself go red. Do I really have too?

"Can't I just keep it on?" I say.

"No you need to take it off so we can get you ready!" Daisy says.

I take it off and I feel slightly exposed as they all walk round me, looking up and down.

"I think he needs a full body scrub, hair cut, some obvious touch ups and some toner to his muscles" Lavender says.

I am led to a bath where I am scrubbed at least three times all over my skin and I am washed with many scents and sprays. I get out after they are finished and my skin is red raw. They sit me down and one grabs some scissors.

"You are not cutting my hair!" I say.

"Orders are orders..." she says, she holds out a strand of hair and cuts rather short for my liking.

They finally finish after about an hour and I stand in front of a mirror. I barely recognise the manly looking person staring back at me. My blonde hair is cropped short, no longer shaggy, and my green eyes shine against my glowing golden skin. My arms now look slightly muscular and so does my stomach which now has slight abs.

"Monaye, your stylist, told us that adding some muscles would help you stand out with your... outfit"

I can't help but stare at myself. I no longer look an average fourteen year old; I look a rather good looking sixteen year old at least.

"I guess... I should thank you" I mumble.

"No thanks needed, it's our job" Daisy says.

They all leave and I am sat waiting again for my stylist.

_Reina Luckmere (17) District 9 Female-POV_

I stand waiting for my prep team which will get me ready for my stylist. It's weird thinking I have my own stylist; that's what rich people have from the Capitol! When I arrived here, it seemed too artificial though, and I hate the fact that we get barely anything and they get the world and more.

My prep team walk in, two women and a man.

"Hi, my names Rocco, and this is Sparkle and Meadow," The man says, gesturing to the two women next to him.

"I'm Reina," I say nervously.

"I must say Reina, you are very pretty and I wish I had naturally red hair myself!" Sparkle says.

I smile and they begin to look me over obviously realising that I'm not much of a talker.

"Could you take your sheet off please Reina" Meadow says.

I remove my sheet which was covering the main part of my body and I feel slightly awkward at the thought of strangers seeing me with nothing on. They all gasp and it takes me a second to figure out why.

"Why have you got all these marks over your body?" Rocco says sympathetically, they must not have heard of abuse in the Capitol.

I look down ashamed. I completely forgot about my bruises. They can tell I don't want to talk about it as they carry on talking amongst themselves. They lead me off, where I get into a bath and they scrub me from head to toe. The rough brush makes my bruises sting but I don't want to make a problem by saying so. Afterwards, they sit me down in a chair and the three of them stare down at me.

Sparkle does my hair; she trims the ends and then uses a hot curler to produce luscious curls. Meadow paints my nails gold with sparkles and then does my make-up. She applies light make-up on my face and then some gold eyeliner on my blue eyes. She then puts some golden lipstick onto my lips; I wonder why it's such a strange colour? It is to use on lips anyway. Rocco also glosses my skin and my tan glows brightly.

"You can look in the mirror now!" Sparkle says excitedly.

I stand staring at the unrecognisable girl. The girl staring back at me is beautiful; with bright red hair and shiny blue eyes. Her tanned skin is glowing and does not show one mark or scratch and her body looks full and healthy. She looks strong but smart and mysterious. It takes me a while to realise the girl is me.

"It doesn't even look like me..." I whisper.

"You look stunning!" Rocco says. "The Capitol is going to _love_ you."

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

I sit waiting for my Stylist. The prep team were kind of annoying, constantly talking about the latest fashion which I couldn't care less about, but they made me look quite nice so I am glad about that. I can't seem to find myself being happy though. Even when I reached the Capitol and saw the marvellous place, I just couldn't see a good side of these games. Luka didn't seem bothered either, so it helped me not look too ignorant.

A few minutes later, a tall slim woman, with dark skin and emerald green eyes (which looks slightly strange) walks into the room.

"Hello, my name is Saffron and I'm your stylist," her voice is calm and is sort of a sweet whisper.

"I'm Savannah, District 10," I hold out my hand and she shakes it.

"Savannah, that's a pretty name, I must say the prep team have done a lovely job of you."

I do agree with her. The prep team have made me glow, and made my brown hair and eyes look warm and soft.

"I agree" I say.

"If you could take your sheet off and I can put your outfit for the chariot rides on" she leaves to get my outfit and I turn away from her and take my sheet off.

"Oh, what is that on your back?" she says shocked.

"Just some scars" I say quietly.

About a year ago, the Capitol sent me for a whipping, for apparently doing something wrong. I was so confused and I didn't know what I was being punished for. They left me with five long marks across my back which looks red and blistered and it's partly the reason I hate the Capitol. The prep team didn't say anything but I knew they were talking about it; I'm not sure though why they didn't clear them with their 'Capitol magic.'

"How on earth did you get those?" she says.

This is going to be awkward, "I was whipped, by the Capitol..."

"Oh..." she says, there is an awkward silence but she quickly carries on. "They could be slightly useful, they make you look strong, brave, and that could help you get sponsors"

I nod in agreement; I think it's a good idea; at least they will be useful for once in my life.

Saffron opens up a case which holds my outfit. She dresses me in a button down shirt, which she tucks into some blue jeans. She puts me into some cowboy boots like I normally wear at home and they feel somewhat natural. She then puts a cowboy hat on my head and smiles at me.

"I thought you could be a cowgirl, you know, because you're from the livestock district... you and Luka look around the same; his stylist and I coordinated."

"I like it... it's like how I dress at home, accept for the hat" I say laughing slightly.

She laughs too. She touches up my make-up and she spots my necklace I am wearing.

"Your necklace matches the outfit!" she says excitedly.

I feel for the lucky horse shoe necklace, hoping it will bring me some luck.

Saffron straightens my cowboy hat. "I will see you soon Savannah, I hope you do well my little cowgirl!"

I hope I do too. I walk out of the room, and I am led to where my chariot awaits.

* * *

Hope you liked that chapter! The Chariot rides are next which I am looking forward to! :D Please review! Review who you like, or who you think will do well or is interesting, or what you just think of the story so far; I would really appreciate it!

Thanks for reading, _EllaC14:)_


	17. Chariot Rides

_Loki Braveheart (18), District 1 Male_

I stand next to Mercy in my chariot, she looks beautiful. Her light blonde hair is tied into a loose bun with strands of hair framing her face. She wears a long dress which comes to the floor and it matches the shirt am wearing. Our stylists thought we should match on the chariots and they thought what represents luxury more than jewels! My shirt is encrusted with multi coloured jewels which shine when the light hits them and so does Mercy's dress.

"I am so nervous" Mercy says, her green eyes staring at me in panic.

"Don't be, just be yourself and they'll love you" I say. She blushes and turns to look around at the other tributes getting ready.

Us two, being from District 1 must go out first and I have to admit I am slightly nervous too. None of us can know how the Capitol will react to us 'district kids'.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, here are your tributes for the first annual Hunger Games!"

Our chariot begins to move and we are brought out into an open space. On either side there are rows of people cheering and clapping.

"District 1's, Loki Braveheart and Mercy Breen!"

Our chariot moves further down the aisle and I can hear people shouting my name. I wave to the audience and they love me. I see a group of Capitol girls screaming and I wink at them and one of them faints. I didn't think they would love me that much.

I look at Mercy and the crowd are also loving her; the men especially. I don't like this for some reason, it doesn't seem very respectful. We both carry on pleasing the crowd and overall they love us and wouldn't stop cheering.

I reach the end and relax. We both turn around and watch the rest of the tributes face the crowd.

"District 2's, Araluen Osman and Micah Flay!"

A pretty girl who I remember volunteered for the games comes out with her district partner who is the same age as me. He is tall and is charming the crowd easily. They both wave and the girl is being very enthusiastic, blowing kisses to the crowd. They are wearing gold gladiator outfits that are lined with silver, which are made of metal and some silver roman sandals. There chariot pulls up next to ours and all of us look at each other for the first time close up. Even though they are supposed to be our enemy's, there seems to be something similar about the four of us like we could get on well together.

"District 3's, Lin Jacobs and Kadence Smith!"

A small girl with a slight edge to her stands in the chariot with a young boy who just seems good hearted. Kadence wears a dress which comes out at the knee that is covered in computer parts and a matching head band which lights up. The boy where's a button up shirt with computer parts covering it as well and some black trousers. The crowd aren't as enthusiastic, but still cheer and a few find them sweet as they are both small so I think they just like them mostly for that. What I wonder is; if you think they are so cute and small, why send them into the games to probably die a horrible death? The Capitol does confuse me sometimes. They pull next to District 2's chariot, and both stand staring at us, the boy almost seems slightly scared of us already. I could be the worst person at fighting or have a tendency to trip over my own feet I'm that clumsy (which I'm not by the way), but just by the way we all look and our age they are instantly scared.

"District 4's, Poseidon Hensworth and Aria Oreota!"

The two tributes come out and you can tell they are from District 4; both golden tans and that 'beach' look about them. Poseidon looks like he could be good in a fight; he's quite tall and strong built. I guess by the look on his face before he enters the aisle that he is not exactly pleased with his outfit. He wears some skin coloured shorts and over them is what looks like a fishing net. From where we are though, it looks like all he has on is literally a fishing net. His muscles and toned abs are on show for everyone to see and he holds a gold trident and a gold crown. He basically looks like a modernized sea god. Aria looks beautiful, her long brown hair waves down to her waist and she has one of those faces which are naturally perfect. She wears a sea green mermaid tail which shimmers in the light and shells over her chest with a net draped over them and she also wears a green tiara. They both show a winning smile, waving to the crowd. The women in the crowd seem to love Poseidon's outfit ...well muscles and everyone is in awe over Arias whole mermaid outfit. Their chariot pulls up next to ours and they both breathe in relief.

"District 5's, Jackal West and Flair Rhodes!"

Their chariot is pulled out and I am almost blinded by their outfits. Flair wear's a short dress which is made of lights, and so is Jackals shirt. They flash on as they face the crowd and everyone gasps at the bright lights. Flair matches her outfit, with her bright personality. She jumps around, waving; blowing kisses anything to please the crowd. The crowd seem to love her because some of them jump around crazily too wanting to join in on her fun. Jackal on the other hand couldn't look more bored, he stands facing forward, and will sometimes wave to the odd Capitol citizen, but he doesn't seem too bothered about the whole thing. As they reach the end and are put to a standstill behind us, I hear Flair say, "Wow that was so amazing!" and Jackal just grunts back at her. I'm not too sure whether she is acting for the Capitol or not; either way it is working for her.

"District 6's, Kyran Flint and Tess Hardy!"

As they begin to pull out I start to think_, how will they represent transportation? _They can't just dress them up like cars or something. Oh, how I couldn't off been more wrong. The boy Kyran wears a black shirt and trousers with gas pedals sticking out of his trousers. His shirt has a steering wheel sticking out of it near his stomach. He wears bright yellow glasses which are supposed to represent headlights and his hair is slicked back like he is being blown by the wind as if he is driving. I have to give him credit; he tries to make the outfit help him in some way. He pretends to drive; turning the steering wheel and pretending to beep the horn which makes the Capitol double over in fits of laughter. He notices they find this funny so carries on, and I think I see a few people crying with laughter they find it that hilarious. It is funny to watch, and it works out for him as the crowd through roses at him for his 'performance'. Tess, who I remember from the reapings' they showed us and I felt slight pity for her, wears a silver dress, but it comes out almost like a ballerinas Tutu. It has flashing lights round the side and I realise after a while it's supposed to be a hovercraft! Oh how unfortunate. The Capitol people also laugh at her, and she seems nervous at first, waving to only a few. I see her watch Kyran for a bit, looking at what he is doing and how the crowd loves him. She almost seems to be convincing herself, and then she plays along with Kyran, acting like she is flying like a hovercraft. I can tell she isn't as comfortable as Kyran at making a fool of herself, but she does so anyway, obviously wanting to gain sponsors; doing the smart thing I guess. Overall the crowd love them, and as they pull in behind us their Chariot is filled with roses. "That was so funny!" Kyran says.

"I can't believe I actually just pretended to be a hovercraft, I must have looked so stupid!" Tess says, covering her face embarrassed.

"Don't be, they loved you!" Kyran says.

As the two from seven come out, I realise I have already seen half my competition in person.

_Kyran Flint (17), District 6 Male-POV_

Our chariot pulls in and I start to laugh,

"That was so funny!" I say, our chariot ride was quite a show. We both messed around because I thought what the heck-are outfits are weird anyway! So I pretended to be a car to get people to like me; and it worked! I can just imagine Hedley's face when he watched us on the television at home; he would have found it so funny.

'I can't believe I actually just pretended to be a hovercraft, I must have looked so stupid!" Tess says, I was surprised myself that she played around like that, for the past few days she has just been quiet and rarely talks to me.

"Don't be, they loved you!" I say.

"I hope so..." she says, directing her attention to the next chariot being pulled out.

I gaze out towards the next chariot too.

"District 7's, Itzel Minx and Iliad Quarmen!"

A tall, muscular boy stands next to a girl who looks quite pretty. Itzel is dressed as a lumber jack; he wears a check shirt, with blue jeans tucked into black boots. Over his shirt and attached to his trousers are black braces, and he holds a fake axe in his hand. Iliad, matching his outfit, is dressed as a tree. Now I know what you're thinking, a tree? Poor girl. But it's not what you think. She wears a short brown dress which comes to above her knee and travelling up the dress are green vines. Her brown hair is left down and blends in slightly with her dress and her Stylist has weaved vines into her hair too. Itzel waves to the crowd every so often but he doesn't seem very happy, he obviously hates the games a lot. Iliad stands calmly, smiling sweetly at the crowd and waving nicely. They both kind of equal each other out, one being hard and brutal, the other being soft and kind. The crowd seem to like them and then they both join all of us after.

"District 8's, Chase Sedesky and Jazzy Kaede!"

The District 8 chariot comes out and their outfits shock me. Jazzy wears a short dress with sewing needles sticking out of the fabric all over and Chase has shorts with needles on too and braces which come over his bare skin which are also covered in needles; _that must hurt. _Chases outfit highlights his...um...toned body which the girls in the audience like, and Jazzys' dress shows her curves which the boys in the audience like – so they both seem to be crowd pleasers. They wave and smile to the audience and Chase flirts with a few of the woman, and weirdly some men, to get them on his side even though you can tell he has no interest in them what so ever. I notice at one point, Chase tries to hold Jazzys' hand but she releases quickly, and she looks shocked about it. I wonder if he likes her...

"District 9's, Caleb York and Reina Luckmere!"

As the two tributes enter, I stand confused looking at the girl. The female tribute I remember was bruised and weak and she looked like she was going to collapse any second but the girl that stands here now is a beautiful fiery red head, with a mysterious edge to her. The boy even looks slightly better, he looks less tired and weak, and like he has had a good meal for once in his life. The Capitol can do wonders. They both wear togas the colour of wheat, and headdresses made out of different grains. They both wave to the crowd but not confidently, they could be shy or just scared. The crowd cheer for them anyway but not as much as some others. Their chariot pulls up next to ours and I smile at Reina, "You did well" I mouth. She smiles back at me. I know it's weird for us to be friendly to each other especially as we're not even from the same district, but there's just something about her that I like.

"District 10's, Luka Kingston Jeredi and Savannah King!"

The District 10 tributes come out dressed as cowboys. The girl looks quite nice, with a cowboy hat and cowboy boots; it suits her, but the boy looks slightly ridiculous. He wears the same as the girl, cowboy hat and all, but he just looks strange, seeing as he is so lanky and pale with icy blue eyes; he looks slightly ghostly. He hardly looks like a cowboy. He seems almost angry and just stares in front of him, but weirdly half way through he begins to wave and smile to the crowd. Strange... Savannah smiles and waves, even blowing a few kisses to the crowd. The crowd like her and even Luka near the end of the ceremony.

"District 11's, Brock Stern and Ashley Blake!"

I can't contain my laughter at the look on Brocks face. His outfit is literally some twigs covering his private areas, and a belt type strap which comes over his shoulder with apples attached to hit. The women seem to like him though, and a lot of them wolf whistle at the sight. His face is hard, showing no emotion and he doesn't even glance at the crowd which makes the girls want him more knowing that he is not interested. They obviously like the brutal District 11 type. Ashley looks sweet, wearing a dress made of the same twigs as what Brock wears, but apples are on the dress, like she is an actual apple tree. I think the Stylists have tried to make Ashley the tree and Brock the apple picker. Ashley waves shyly to the crowd and they all 'aw' at her innocent behaviour. As they approach us as they finish, I break down laughing seeing Brocks expression yet again.

"District 12's, Oliver Istas and Annalisa Soleil!"

The last chariot is brought out and their outfits definitely represent District 12. They both wear coal miners' suits, covered in black dirt and soot. Their faces are also covered in coal dust, but it just makes them look dirty and they aren't very nice outfits all together. Annalisa still acts enthusiastic, waving to all the crowd and so does Oliver. They both do well at trying to show through their outfit but the Capitol people don't seem too impressed with the dirt and grime. They both stop next to District 11's chariot and we all stand waiting.

The president walks out onto a balcony and stands in front of a microphone. The crowd goes mad shouting and cheering; _they all love their amazing president. _

"Welcome tributes, to the marvellous Capitol!" He says his voice echoes through the stadium we are in.

The Capitol people cheer again, and it takes a while before it finally dies down. They _really_ love him.

* * *

The Chariot rides are over, and now the training shall begin! I hope your liking the story, and please review what you think and if their are any tributes you would like to hear a POV from. As you can probably see from past chapters, a few tributes are starting to think about Allies, and there might be an alliance made next chapter, or there might not be... you will have to wait and see... hehehe:P

Thanks for reading, and remember to review! _EllaC14:)_


	18. Training Day 1

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

"Aria, wake up you have a big, big day ahead of you!" Our escort Wavell calls, knocking on my door.

I groan and pull the covers off my body, the cold air wraps around me making me shiver. I stare into the mirror and I look a mess. My cheeks are puffy from sleep, I still have last night's make-up smeared on my face and I'm sure I can see green glitter still in my hair. It was a long night, having to present yourself to the Capitol is a tiring task. I walk into my bathroom and have a shower using the mint scented soaps and shampoos. I love my new Capitol room, I thought the train was nice but this is something else! Everything is just so luxurious and the view off of my balcony is amazing! I just want to stay out there all night and look out at the stars which just seem brighter than the ones at home. I walk back into my room and I see a plain black outfit on my bed. There is a note on top saying:

_This is your outfit for training, please get ready quickly you don't want to be late for your first day of training! Wavell._

I put the outfit on and I notice on the back there is a number 4 printed on so they know which District we are from. I tie my long hair back into a ponytail so it stays out of my way while I am training and I keep on my bracelet which I brought as my token. I put my black kohl eyeliner on - even in training I have to wear my eyeliner! I walk out of my room once I am ready and everyone is waiting for me at breakfast.

"Hi Aria, how are you this morning?" Wavell says smiling brightly.

"I'm good thank you, and you?" I say nicely, I might as well be polite to her, seeing as she is in charge of what I get off my sponsors in the arena - if I get any.

"I'm very well" she says, she sips her coffee and carries on reading her Capitol fashion magazine.

I sit down and pour myself some coffee too. I love the stuff, I wish I had it in District 4 it's just so delicious! The coffee wakes me up and I am alert and ready for some serious training. I've missed it slightly; its part of my daily routine and it's weird not doing at least some training.

"I forgot to tell you two, the gamemakers, the people who are in charge of the games and what happens, will be watching you in training. You will train for three days and then on the fourth day you will have a private training session where you will show your main skills and maybe something special or useful you could use in the games. The gamemakers will give you a score out of twelve and this score will be broadcasted to Panem, and it could help you gain sponsors if you get a good score or avoid some if you get a bad one. My advice... get a good training score." Wavell explains, she gets up from the table and walks over to a mirror to touch up her make-up.

"You don't need to worry then" Poe says also rising from the table.

"And why is that?" I say quietly.

"You've been training for what... forever?" he walks off too and an Avox comes to clear up his breakfast.

I shrug and pick up a roll to eat which curbs my hunger.

"Come on, we've got to go to the training room now" Wavell calls, we both follow her into the lift.

As I walk into the training room, I stand my mouth in a wide 'O' shape. I have never seen so many different weapons in my life. Around the rooms' edge, there are different areas where you can practice different skills, from throwing spears to making a fire. All of the tributes are called to the middle and a man comes to stand in the middle of us with a clipboard.

"Welcome tributes, as you have already been told you will be training here for three days. Feel free to try and learn any skills here and if you need any help there are instructors at each skill. The only rule is that you can't fight or harm each other; you can save that for the arena." He walks off and out of the room and we are all left standing there.

I look around the room, and spot the throwing knives station. Time to show everyone what I'm made of. Most of the others are still standing there looking aimlessly round the room so I will be there main attention. I walk over to the knife rack, and pick up a large, sharp knife. A few metres away are dummies set up in a row. I aim my arm, lean back and throw the knife. It flies across the space and stabs straight through where the heart would be. I hear a few gasps so I turn around to where everyone is standing, and give them a small bow. I then walk off to find another area I could try.

"Nice work" Poe says walking next to me. I just shrug again and walk off towards the spear throwing section.

I'm not too sure how I will be at spear throwing, but I try anyway. I lean back like I did with the knife and throw, flicking my wrist to aim better. The spear goes straight through the stomach and pierces through the other side. I do this a couple of times, to make sure I get a good technique and then I move on.

"Maybe you should try looking at something other than weapons," Poe says walking next to me again.

"Can you stop sneaking up on me like that, it's kind of weird... and why?"

"You need to know more than just fighting if you want to survive in the arena..." He is the one that walks off this time rather than me.

Maybe he's right. I should learn something like how to make a fire. I walk over to that station, and the District 6 girl sits crossed legged in front of some wood. She rubs two sticks together and quickly it bursts into flames. She smiles in triumph and the instructor gives her a thumbs up. I sit down next to her and she flinches slightly.

"Um, excuse me, how do you do this?" I say to the instructor.

"Do what she just did" the instructor says.

"Thanks for the help" I mumble.

I sit for a while, rubbing the two sticks together, and it doesn't seem to be doing anything. I start to get frustrated and I throw the sticks across the section, making the girl next to me, Tess, jump.

"Aw, can't light a fire 4 girl?"

I turn around to see the cocky boy from District 1.

"Shouldn't you be learning to survive 1 boy?" I say smugly. He smirks and looks down at me. I stand up, but I still only come to his shoulders.

"Being pretty doesn't help you now, does it 4?" He thinks he is so good. I hate it when people judge me just because I might be a bit prettier than others.

I kick him in the shins, and he holds his leg in pain. I put my arm under his neck and pin him against the wall.

"Being smug doesn't help you now, does it 1?" I whisper in his ear smirking, I let go of him before an instructor sees, and walk off sweetly back towards the fire station.

_Tess Hardy (14), District 6 Female-POV_

I sit at the fire station in shock at the District 4 girls' outburst. No-one seems to notice but me, and I quickly walk away to another section not wanting to get involved.

I reach the snare and traps section and the only other person there is the District 7 girl Iliad. She seems like she is good with snares. I watch as she makes one in less than a minute and it looks pretty complicated.

"How do you even do that? They look so complicated!" I say, I realise after that I am talking to one of my enemy's and cover my mouth for being so stupid.

"They're pretty easy actually..." she says turning to face me, "I could, erm... teach you if you like?"

She looked as shocked as me that I was even talking to her.

"If you wouldn't mind that would be great!" I say pleased, at least I will learn something new.

We stand there for a while, and she shows me how to make a simple snare first. I pick up on it quite quickly and when the snare works I jump around; which I rarely do; in success.

"You learn so quickly!" she says shocked.

"I guess," I say smiling. I like Iliad, she seems nice, and I think she would be a friend of mine if we were from the same district.

She shows me a harder one this time and it takes a bit longer for me to learn. I struggle to make it actually work but after a while it is finally successful.

"Thanks, that really helped" I say.

"You're welcome, I'm Iliad by the way, but you can call me Lili"

"I'm Tess" I say, "Do you want to learn anything? I'm good with plants?"

"That's what I was going to go to next!" she says.

We both walk over to the plant sttation and we sit opposite each other and I hold a few plant samples in my hand.

"This, is a honey suckle leaf" I say, holding the leaf out, "It can curb your hunger for a while, but will make you thirsty so don't eat them unless you have water"

She nods in agreement and I carry on.

"And these are just normal berry's, but see how these are a pinky-red, that means they are safe to eat.

"But this is nightlock, you never, ever, eat this, it will kill you before it reaches your stomach; it's absolutely deadly," she nods again, and she looks slightly frightened hearing that a small berry could kill her.

I show her a few more plants which could help her, which could be harmful and which she could eat and she seems to understand fully.

"I would have thought you would know these, being from District 7" I say. I always thought District 7 was out in the woods all the time. It's quite strange actually that I know anything about plants being form District 6.

"I know some, but none of the ones you showed me..." she replies, "Well... I'm going to go to the axe throwing station now, thanks for the help"

Axe throwing? She looks too weak to hold an axe.

"Thanks for the help too" I say... _you should ask, just ask her the worst she can say is no._"Um, I was wondering, if you wanted to be Allies?" I say, looking down shyly, "I just thought we've helped each other, and you seem nice and I don't really want to be alone in the arena..."

She stands for a second, as if she is thinking about us being in an Alliance.

"Um... ok, you seem like you could be helpful..." she says looking down shyly too.

"So... Allies?" I hold out my hand for her to shake.

"Allies!" she shakes my hand smiling.

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

I was slightly nervous for training today, but now I am here I am actually enjoying it. I have tried many stations, and I have to admit I wasn't that good at many of them but I learnt the basic skill of each. I wander over to the plant station and the two from District 8 are there. From what I understand, the girl Jazzy is trying to explain the different plants to the boy Chase.

"No! There is a big difference... this one will kill you, this one will save you!" she says, starting to lose her patience.

"I just don't get it, how can you even tell the difference?" he says laughing, I'm not sure but I think he is teasing her.

"I give up" she says, putting her head in her hands jokingly.

"I don't have to worry anyway, I'll have you with me in the arena" he leans in close to her and wraps his arms round her waist. She pushes him away laughing, slightly embarrassed.

"Who said we were staying together?" Jazzy says starting to walk away.

"Who said we weren't?" Chase replies. He walks on after her and I see them both start to joke around at the knife throwing station.

I look around at the plants around me and sort them all out by which ones are safe or not. I'm finished at this station quickly and I look around for which one to go to next. I don't want to reveal all my skills yet, but I need to show people that I'm not stupid. I go over to the combat section and look at a range of weapons. I find some nun-chucks and hold them tightly. An instructor walks over and offers to practice with me so I agree. I circle round him and swing the nun-chucks as if I have been using them all my life. I swing them and they collide with the instructors with great force. I turn quickly and swing them again and they hit his shins. He flinches and loses his guard and I swing them again and they knock his nun-chucks out of his hand. Doing this I know that this weapon could knock any weapon away; even a spear. The force is just too powerful that it can easily make them lose their weapon.

The instructor holds his hands up to say we are to finish and I put the nun-chucks away. I decide that will be the best weapon for me to use with my skill I have decided to show the gamemakers in my private training session. As I turn to leave, I see the District 2 girl Micah, looking at me strangely. She is with the District 1 girl Mercy and they seem to have teamed up together. They both look at me, and then turn away and stalk off towards another station.

I'm not too sure, but I think I just made some enemies.

_Micah Flay (18), District 2 Female-POV_

Mercy and I walk away from the District 12 girl, I was quite impressed with her skills; but they weren't _that_ good. Mercy and I started training with each other as we both seemed to be good with weapons and we decided we would work well together. We haven't said we're Allies yet, but I kind of hope we do. We walk over to the bow and arrow station. I pick up a bow and arrow and set them up. I pull the string back and release, letting the arrow fly across and straight into the dummies head.

"Impressed?" I say to Mercy.

"It was ok..." she says, I can tell she is though.

Loki comes to join us and we all stand practising. Loki uses a crossbow and he is very good, shooting straight through the heart most of the time.

"How do you know how to use that?" I ask.

"I fought in the rebellion, I used this most of the time" he says.

"Have you made an alliance yet Loki?" Mercy asks.

"Not yet, why do you ask?"

"I was thinking, maybe the three of us could start an Alliance" she says.

"_Start _an alliance?" I ask.

"Well, I've been watching District 4, and they seem pretty good, so we could ask them to join too? That's if you two want to start it in the first place" she says, looking at us both.

"I'm in" I say smiling.

"I guess I'm in too, we would be unstoppable" Loki says.

Araluen my district partner walks over and joins us.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asks.

"Want to join our alliance? We're going to be the best there is!" I say excitedly.

"Oh cool, I'll join!" he says smiling. He seems to have stuck by himself today, but I can tell he is lonely in the Capitol, he must miss his family.

"So that's us four and we'll ask the two from District 4 tomorrow," Mercy says.

"We're going to be the ultimate alliance!" Loki says, he looks slightly scary when he uses that determined grin.

I don't think they realise that we all might have to fight and kill one and other after we kill the other tributes, but I will keep that information to myself.

"It will be like our job to kill tributes, like our career... we can be called the careers!" Mercy says grinning at her idea.

_The careers_. _I like it_.

* * *

And the careers are born! There is the first training session and as you can see some alliances have been made. Hope your enjoying the story and thanks for all your lovely reviews!

Thanks for reading and keep reviewing! _EllaC14:)_


	19. Training Day 2

_Chase Sedesky (15), District 8 Male-POV_

I wake up in my comfy Capitol bed, to the sound of someone knocking on the door to my room. I try and get out of bed, but I hardly have my eyes open and I fall on the floor making a loud bang.

"Come in..." I groan.

The door opens and Jazzy walks in.

"What was that ... oh that's what it was" she looks down at me giggling.

"Don't laugh... here can you pull me up?" I hold out my hand for her to take.

"Fine..." she holds my hand and I quickly pull her down to the floor with me.

"Chase!" she giggles, we both lay on the floor laughing for a while.

Today is our second day of training. I have been hanging round with Jazzy in training, one-because I feel the need to protect her, you don't know what the other tributes will be like and two- I kind of like her.

"I came here to tell you that Nadine says to be ready and have had some breakfast in half an hour because that's when we are leaving" she repeats our escorts words and then leaves obviously to go get some breakfast herself.

I walk into my bathroom and shower, it feels weird having things like a shower or other luxury's now. My Aunt didn't ever get me anything nice, she was drunk most of the time anyway, and I don't really remember my parents, but I know they treated me right. Once I am finished, I put on the training outfit I wore yesterday and quickly run my hands through my hair.

I stroll into the room where breakfast has been served and grab a few blueberry muffins to eat.

"Chase, you have about 5 muffins there, you're not going to be able to eat _all_ of them!" Jazzy says, looking at me strangely.

"Just watch me" I say, beginning to eat the first one, I eat the five easily, when you don't have enough to eat anyway, you tend to eat as much as you can when you have it.

"You're such a boy..." she says pulling a face.

"Stop flirting you two and get in the lift we need to go to training!" Nadine says.

I see Jazzy blush at this comment, but I don't really care.

"I'm so sorry Nadine, we just can't stay away from each other" I pull Jazzy into my arms and look at Nadine with a sincere look, which she just laughs at.

"Get off me Chase!" Jazzy says pushing me away.

"See, she can't stay away" I say laughing. The three of us pile into the lift.

"So, are you two going to be Allies?"Nadine asks, as we move down in the lift.

We both look at each other awkwardly and I shrug again.

"I wouldn't mind it" I say.

"I'll... um... think about it" Jazzy says, as the doors to the lift open and we all walk out.

We head into the training room and we are allowed to start once everyone has arrived. When all 24 of us are here, we begin training.

"Where are you going first?" I ask Jazzy.

"The swords station, what about you?"

"I think I'll go there too" I say.

We both walk over there and the only other person there is the brute from District 11. He is fighting against an instructor and he seems to be winning. Jazzy picks up a sword and so do I.

"The thing is... I don't know actually how you use one of these" I say embarrassed.

"Oh... well I'll show you!" Jazzy says.

She shows me how to hold the sword properly, and then how you fight with them. I am not successful at first, but after about half an hour I start to get it and become pretty good.

"Can you throw these too?"I ask an instructor.

"Yeah sure... go try on when of them targets"

I stand in front of target a few metres away and throw the sword. It glides through the air, and goes into the board slightly to the side of the bulls eye.

"That was quite good Chase" Jazzy says, looking impressed.

"Well thank you" I say bowing.

"Come on, I'll show you how to use an axe" I say pulling her towards that station.

"Is that your specialty then?" she asks, grinning.

"It is indeed" I say, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She looks into my eyes slightly but then quickly moves away. _Damn it._

_Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV_

I finish at the sword section and begin to walk around the room. I have found since I started training, that I don't like using weapons that much, there just too much to handle. I prefer using knives though in close combat as I can use my strength as an advantage too.

I haven't seen Malaya in a while; she normally comes and sees me once a day. Maybe it's because I am out and about now, moving round and talking to a few people. I only really talk to my district partner Ashley and I haven't got a choice about talking to my escort Shimmer but their people I guess. I like Ashley, she reminds me of how a little sister would be. I feel the need to protect her like an older brother would as well. I look around for her, and spot her over by the climbing station. She is right at the top of the wall and has climbed up so she walks along a high beam. I see the new alliance standing below, they consist of most of the higher districts and I heard them call themselves the 'careers'.

"Don't fall 11!" The district 1 girl shouts menacingly.

I begin to walk over as the district 1 boy carries on.

"You don't want to find out what will happen if you do"

Are they seriously threatening a little girl?

"Mercy, why don't you climb up there too?" the boy says.

"Sure Loki... I'm coming 11!" she begins to climb the wall and I see Ashley's eyes fill with worry and look around for somewhere else to go.

Both of District 1 start to laugh and the more they do the more frightened she looks. I walk to the wall and grab Mercy by the collar of her shirt, pulling her to the ground. She's only one year younger than me, but I tower over her greatly.

"You think it's funny to scare a little girl? Do you?" I stare into her eyes and I see a slight amount of fear creep through them. "You want to pick on someone, pick on me!"

"Erm... no ... I'm... um... sorry" I let her go and she runs off with Loki and the others... I hear her as she walks off, "Wait till we get into the arena." And they all agree laughing. I'm fine with that; I've got nothing to lose.

"Thanks Brock" Ashley says, climbing down the wall quickly. She's like a giant spider she is that quick.

"No problem," I say smiling. She smiles back, looking slightly confused that I am actually smiling.

"Um... do you want any help with anything? To return the favour?" she says shyly.

"I could use some help with the plant station?" I say.

"Great, let's go!" she walks ahead and I follow.

I decide at this moment that I will protect that little girl if it's the last thing I do. I guess it helps make up for the fact I couldn't protect my own family and like I said; I have nothing to lose.

_Lin Jacobs (12), District 3 Male-POV_

I sit by myself, at the traps and snares section. I have made the most complicated one there is, and quite quickly too. The instructor stares in amazement as I finish constructing the snare. My district partner Kadence walks over and begins to make one herself. She also makes quite a complicated snare and it is successful; it must be a District 3 thing.

"Have you made an alliance yet?" she asks randomly.

"Not yet, you?" I ask.

"No, I think I want one though, I just don't know who to ask... and I'm worried they will say no" she says looking down sadly.

"I'm sure they won't" I say, "I'm going the knives station now, you want to come?"

She looks up surprised at me. "Ok, sure" she smiles and we walk off together.

"So, do you know how to use knives?" I ask.

"I'm good at throwing, but not as good at using them to fight" she says.

"I'm the complete opposite, I'm good up close, but not at throwing... why don't we teach each other?"

"Sounds good"

We start with throwing, and she teaches me how to stand when throwing and that if you flick your wrist you will get a better aim. It takes me a while but I finally hit one of the dummies in the stomach and then after in the head which surprised me. We then go to the fighting with knives part and I show her different ways you can fight and how you can catch someone off guard. She understands quickly too, and in a full hour we have both learnt a new skill each.

"That was very helpful, thanks" I say.

"Thanks too, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but I didn't think you would be good with something like a knife" Kadence says.

"I know, I don't exactly look the weapon type" we both laugh.

"I don't exactly either, but I think I look more like I would be good at weight lifting" she says jokingly, she holds up her arms like she is showing her muscles but they look more like twigs.

"Of course, we could be experienced fighters we're that strong" I do the same as her, and my arms look as weak as hers. I see her eyes widen slightly, and I remember the large scars on my arms.

"What did you do to your arms?" she says worryingly.

"Oh, do you remember that explosion at the main factory in the district? I was seeing my parents at work when it happened which caused the scars" she nods and there is an awkward silence.

"I was thinking, do you want to be Allies? You seem pretty cool and we work quite well together" Kadence says looking at me with hope.

"Ok, I could use an Allie" We both smile at each other and shake hands to make it official. I feel a wave of happiness go through my body, knowing that I won't be alone in the arena.

_Reina Luckmere (17), District 9 Female-POV_

"Finished" I call to the instructor at the plant station.

"Already?" he says surprised.

I have to admit I am very good at identifying plants; I can just look at them and know what they are. Next to me, doing the same test is Kyran from District 6. When we were at the Chariot rides, he smiled at me and my stomach felt like it had butterflies inside it. I've caught him looking at me a couple of times in training, but he hasn't come to talk to me yet. I don't what I would do if he did, but I would like to talk to someone anyway and preferably him.

"Finished" Kyran calls too.

"Wow that was quick!" I say surprised. He looks up at me as if he is shocked I am talking to him.

"You were quicker" he says smiling.

"I know... it's just I didn't think someone from District 6 would know about plants"

"Hmm, I guess" he carries on looking at different plants but then looks at me again.

"I'm Kyran by the way" he says holding out his hand.

"Reina" I say, shaking his hand.

"I'm just going to say this because I have nothing to lose and I might be dying soon and I know you might find it slightly weird seeing as I don't know you... but I think you are really beautiful" he says, looking down slightly embarrassed.

I feel myself start to blush, "That's really sweet thank you" I smile at him and he smiles that cute crooked smile back. "And seeing as your right about the fact we could be dying soon, you're quite good looking yourself" It isn't like me to just come out with things like that, but I feel like I am a slightly different person now since I have been in the Capitol.

"Thank you, I do my best" he laughs and I let out a small giggle. "You know, I promised myself I wouldn't be my normal joking self here, but I think I can be like that with you"

I feel the butterflies in my stomach again. He is so sweet, I haven't felt this liked since before my parents died. I guess with all the abuse I forgot what it was like.

"So... do you want to train together?" he asks.

"Sure, that sounds nice"

We both walk off together towards another station and I feel the happiest I have been in a while.

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

I am at the knife station and am practising fighting with an instructor. I have been winning for a while, seeing as I am quite strong and am good with a knife. I'm starting to feel tired though but I can tell the instructor is getting a bit caught up in the fight and doesn't want to lose to a district kid.

"Why don't we just stop?" I say.

"What, are you tired ten? If you get tired in the arena you are going to be killed" he says smugly.

I feel anger start to bubble inside me.

"I could beat you with my hands behind my back so shut up" I say, I don't know why I'm so annoyed, but he has just hit a nerve.

"Aw poor district kid thinks he can scare me"

I can feel my face start to go red and I begin to approach him more.

"Yeah, I think I can... so shut up and give up already" I feel my voice getting louder.

"What are you a little scared kid, ten? What do your parents think of their fail of a child?"

This gets me really angry. How dare he say that? I run up to the instructor and punch him hard straight in the face. He falls to the floor and I crouch over him, holding my knife above him.

"Help... HELP!" He shouts. Some instructors come and hold me back by my arms so he can get up.

"Who's the scared kid now? Hey?" I hiss at him, he looks at me with wide eyes like I am some freak. I look around as I am dragged out of the training room to see all the other tributes staring at me like I am a maniac. I look up at the window above us which I haven't noticed before, which is where the gamemakers sit, and they are all smiling at me, as if they are impressed.

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

I run around the agility section, while the instructor times me. It's a basic assault course, with things like crawling under nets and jumping over logs and climbing things. I run as fast as I can, I reach a net and I tumble roll underneath. Then there is a tall log and I just imagine when I jump over the fence to the ranch. I reach the log and hurdle over it. I finally get to the finish line and the instructor gives me my time.

"30 seconds, that's good"

"Thanks" I pant out of breath, laughing slightly at how unfit I must seem.

"Yeah it was" I turn round to see the District 1 boy Loki standing there.

"Thank you" I don't want to talk to this boy, after finding out about this ultimate alliance thing that he is part of I don't want to go near him.

"I didn't realise District 10's would be so good, did you see your district partners outburst a minute ago?" he says smirking, I did see it and it scared me slightly, I didn't think Luka had it in him.

"Hmm" I say, averting my attention to the swimming section. I should try it, what if there is water in the arena.

I walk over there and slowly get into the pool. I under estimate the depth of the water and feel myself go under. I can't seem to reach the top and begin to struggle for air. I flail around and I suddenly see a hand reach into the pool and drag me out. I cough up some water and look into the blue eyes that saved me.

"Loki?" I mumble

"Yeah it's me, are you ok?" he holds me in his arms and I look up confused. Why did he save me?

"Yeah... um, why did you do that?"

"Do what?" he says confused.

"Save me?"

"Erm, I don't really know... I don't like swimming either; to be honest I'm not good at it so that's probably why I don't like it..." He begins this nervous rambling.

I see the rest of his alliance come over laughing.

"Loki, what are you doing? Why are you holding the ten girl?" His district partner says laughing.

He almost drops me when he hears them. He puts me down and begins to walk away as if nothing had ever happened.

"Nothing, come on lets go train some more" he walks off, but before he looks around at me. "See you around, Savannah?"

I shrug and look down embarrassed but laughing at the same time; I must look so stupid.

* * *

There is the second day of training, one more day of training and then the private training sessions! Firstly, I have been trying my hardest to give all the tributes a fair amount of time in the story, and if your tribute/tribute's haven't been in many chapters it's either they could be in the next few chapters...or they could be having more of a part in the actual games. As I said, I have been trying to put them all in slightly. Also, as you can see Alliances are being made, so the POV might be written by one tribute, but it could mainly involve another tribute as well so that could also be a reason you haven't heard a POV from them.

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the story, thanks for all your lovely reviews and please keep reviewing! I love hearing what you think and if you have any questions about the story just PM me :).

Thanks again, _EllaC14:)_


	20. Training Day 3

_Oliver Istas (16), District 12 Male-POV_

I really need to make an alliance. Let's face it, it's day three of training, the last day, and if I don't make one now I probably never will and I doubt when we're in the arena someone's going to say "Oh it's ok Oliver, I won't kill you let's just be friends and make an Alliance even though we don't know each other!" Yeah, that's really going to happen.

I lay in bed, thinking about whom I could Allie with, but I can't think of anyone. They probably all have Allies by now, or at least the ones that want them. I wake up, have a quick shower and then put on my training outfit. I walk outside to go to the lift where our escort Sunbeam and my district partner Annalisa are waiting. I think about Annalisa being an Allie, but I don't think she is particularly fond of me. I think she doesn't mind talking to me sometimes, but she wouldn't want to be with me 24/7 in an arena. We all go into the lift and then enter the training room.

I've been trying to go to as many stations as possible, but as hard as I have tried, the only thing I am good at is physical strength, fighting and running. I decide to go to the running station as that would help me a lot and I'm pretty good at it. When I get there the girl from 6, Tess is on the track. She is extremely fast, and I am quite shocked.

"Wow, she's good" I say, the girl from seven looks at me but when she notices I've seen she turns back.

"I know, I'm good at running, but she's faster... its weird seeing as she's from 6" The girls says.

"I agree... I'm Oliver by the way" I say, might as well introduce myself, she might want an Allie.

"I'm Lili" she says, Tess walks over once she is finished.

"Who you talking to Lili?" she says, she looks me up and down with her hazel eyes.

"Hi, I'm Oliver" I say smiling flirtatiously.

"I'm Tess" she says shyly, blushing.

"Are you two in an Alliance?" I ask.

"Yep, you bet!" Lili says smiling.

"Do you mind if I train with you guys? I haven't really talked to anyone besides you" I give them a look with my stormy grey eyes and flick my blonde hair; which is normally how I get girls to love me at home.

"Yeah, sure" Tess says, twirling her red hair round her finger.

"I don't mind either" Lili says, she obviously doesn't care about my flirting; she must just be genuinely accepting.

"I'm going to do some running for a bit" I say.

"Ok, we'll stay for a bit too" Tess says.

We all stand at the starting line, getting ready to run. I look at Tess, she has a look of determination on her face and I look at Lili and she also looks very determined and concentrated. When the instructor says go, we all run as fast as we can and we all are very quick. Tess comes first, followed by Lili and I who tie.

"We make a pretty good team," I say laughing because we're all so out of breath.

"A fast team" Lili says laughing too.

"A _very_ fast team!" Tess adds.

We all walk off and look around to see which station to go to next.

"So... could I maybe join your alliance? As we all agreed we do make a pretty good team?" I say, trying to convince them.

They both look at each other as if they are deciding. They both nod and smile at me.

"Ok... you can join" Tess says smiling.

"Welcome to the alliance" Lili says, holding out her hand for me to shake. I do, and then we all walk off together, and I feel like I have accomplished something.

_Poseidon Hensworth (16), District 4 Male-POV_

Aria and I stand at the weapon throwing station. We both kind of became Allies for training but it isn't really official yet. Still, she acts like an Allie, so why question it?

She is very good at knife throwing, and hits the heart of the target dummies almost every time. I am using a scythe which I am very skilled with, and only till recently found at that you can throw them which makes them very useful. We stand training for a while but then I notice people are standing behind us watching.

"Um...Aria... I think we have some spectators" I whisper.

She swings her head round to see who it is.

"Oh great, it's them again" she groans.

I turn round to see the new 'career' alliance, which includes both from 1 and both from 2. Since day 1 when they became an alliance, most of the time at least one of them has been watching us train.

"Hi, I'm Mercy, this is Loki, Micah and Araluen" the girl from 1 says gesturing to the others.

"We know who you are" I say crossing my arms over my chest, Aria stands next to me, staring them down with her piercing green eyes.

"We were wondering, if both of you are interested in joining our alliance, the careers. We have been watching you and your both pretty good with fighting and using weapons. So... do you want to join?"Mercy says.

I look at Aria and she looks down at the floor as if she is thinking. Do I want to join the careers? It would probably give me a better chance of surviving. But what if we all turn on each other and I have to fight against them? Could I really win if it came to that? I guess I could leave before they have the chance to attack.

"Ok, I'll join" I say, they all grin but Aria looks at me surprised. "Aria, come on, just join"

"Erm... I don't know" she says looking down again, she must be feeling slightly pressured.

"Just try it? It could help us in the long run" I whisper so the others can't hear me. She looks up at me and then nods.

"Alright, I'll join too" she says, smirking slightly. All the careers high five each other in success grinning and then high five us too.

I guess I'm a career now.

_Jazzy Kaede (14), District 8 Female-POV_

I am going to be honest, I like Chase; there I said it! He's just so sweet the way he tries to get close to me, and I do feel bad when I move away but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to be like that with him and I didn't want to lead him on. But I know now that I like him and it would be nice to have a slight romance, especially with the situation we're in. I have thought about how only one of us could come out of this, but I push it to the back of my mind.

We both sit opposite each other at the fire station. As much as we've tried, we both can't start a fire.

"We're useless" he says, putting his head into his hands laughing.

"Hey, I take offence to that!" I laugh, pushing him teasingly.

An instructor walks over noticing we are failing at this task, and shows us again how to make a fire. Finally, we are successful and we have made a small fire.

"Yay!" I say clapping my hands together.

"Aw, you're so cute when you're happy" he says teasingly.

"I do try" I say giggling.

He scoots over so he is sitting next to me. He links his hands with mine and for once I don't move away.

"You know... I've loved hanging out with you these past few days" he says looking at me with that smile I love so much.

"Me too... I wish we weren't in this situation though" I stare into the fire, watching the flames.

I suddenly realise where we are and that we should really be training.

"Um, maybe we should try another station" I say, letting go of his hand and standing up.

"Yeah we should" he says.

We both walk together and this time I decide to link my hand with his.

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

I have tried to attempt different stations for the past three days. Some of them I have picked up on, others not. I do have a strategy though, all the other tributes think I'm this sweet little girl; which I guess I am, and I haven't shown them barely any skills. I've only revealed my ability to climb and the careers were rather...tormenting when I showed that one. Luckily, Brock helped me, which made me seem even weaker because I needed my big, strong district partner to help me. I will admit, I am weak and if I was up against a 'career' I would die in a second, but I actually do know how to use a scythe and I'm quite good too and I haven't been on that station, so they won't see it coming. The plan could go completely wrong and they decide to target me because I'm weak, but if my predictions are right, they will leave me alone at the beginning of the games which would allow me to get away.

I feel I have become more intelligent since I have arrived in the Capitol, I wouldn't have been able to come up with that plan before. I know I don't really need an alliance; I've got slight trust issues and I would probably work better on my own. Also, I would hate it if you were left with your Allie, after you both got to know each other, and then had to fight and maybe kill them. I don't think the others realise this, but they can do what they like. I feel as though Brock has been trying to protect me as well, maybe he has someone at home who he thinks I am like; I heard he had a girlfriend and son; it was sad what happened to them, maybe that's why I never see him happy.

I'm not complaining about him protecting me though... those careers do kind of scare me.

_Flair Rhodes (15), District 5 Female-POV_

I stand holding a spear which I think is both taller than me and heavier than me. I lift it above my shoulders and throw and it lands literally in front of me.

"Damn it!" I say as I go to pick it up to try again.

I try again and I do the same thing. Seriously?

I do the same thing for the third time and I hear a muffled giggle from behind me. I turn around to see the girl from 10 standing with her hand over her mouth. I look at her and smirk slightly; I probably do look quite funny. I pick up the spear again and try to lean back as I throw to get it to go further. It goes completely wrong and I lean too far back and the weight of the spear pulls me back, which makes me fall to the ground clumsily.

"Are you okay?" the ten girl says, I can tell she wants to laugh at me.

"Just laugh, I know you want to" I say, she bursts out laughing and I join her. She falls to her knees she is laughing so much and we both end up lying on the floor in fits of laughter.

"Did I look really funny?" I say, she nods and I laugh with embarrassment.

"What's your name?" I ask randomly.

"Savannah, your Flair right?" I nod.

"Well Savannah, maybe you should try and do what I did, it's not that easy"

"I'd rather not..."

I end up convincing her to try it and we both ask the instructor to help us. By the end I got my spear to just skim the target and Savannah got hers to land on the end. Afterwards as we begin to leave the spear station she turns to talk to me.

"I know we only just started to talk to each other, but you seem really nice and like you would make my time in the arena better than it would be... so do you want to be Allies?" Savannah says looking at me hopefully. I feel slightly shocked; I didn't think anyone would want to be in an Alliance with me.

"Yeah... yeah ok!" I say grinning.

"But... maybe you shouldn't use a spear..." she says. We both start laughing again.

I decide I am glad I have made an Alliance.

_Iliad "Lili" Quarmen (12), District 7 Female-POV_

I'm so happy I learnt self-defence beforehand. Seeing all the other tributes, I feel slightly worried, but I don't think any of them have taken notice of me, except for Tess and Oliver, who at this moment are flirting with each other; _great._ I'm twelve and I can see they both like each other but they won't admit it. I do worry that they will both decide to kick me out of the alliance, but I don't think Tess would do that when us two made it in the first place.

Anyway, I think the others haven't even glanced at me but it's not a bad thing. If they don't think I'm anything to worry about, the more they will leave me alone. I think the game makers will be shocked when they see me in the private training session; they won't expect anything special from me. They see me as shy and weak, not the bright and clever girl I am really. I have been trying all the stations in training though, to give me the best chance of surviving. I need to get home, my family is more than broken as it is and I don't want to add to that.

I want to win this thing; and I'm not backing down any time soon.

* * *

Thats the last day of training and next it will be the private training session! More alliances and a few romances have been formed too. Im sorry if some tributes haven't been getting as many POV's as others, but they will get their fair amount, even if it is during the games! Actually, it depends if they survive or not... hehe;)I hope your enjoying the story and thanks again for your reviews!

Keep reviewing!, _EllaC14:)_


	21. Private Training Sessions: Part One

_Loki Braveheart (18) District 1 Male-POV_

I sit in the waiting room with the 23 other tributes. I'm feeling ok at this moment, quite confident actually. Looking round the room, there are a few that I think are so nervous they are going to throw up, there are others which are trying to hide it and there are some who seem quite confident like me.

I sit next to Mercy, and she also seems relatively calm, she obviously thinks she is going to get a good score. They have told us that the best you can get is 12 and the worst you can get is 0. I'm hoping for at least higher than an 8, and I think I can do it.

"Can we have Loki Braveheart first please?" A woman holding a clipboard says.

I stand up and walk into the training room. As I walk in, surrounding the room are all the stations from training. You are supposed to show them your best and strongest skills, so I know exactly what I'm going to show them. When you stand in the centre of the room and look up in front of you, there are all the gamemakers and the head gamemaker sitting, watching intently.

"I'm Loki Braveheart, District 1" I say, they nod and I begin.

I walk off towards the sword section, and grab a long, sharp sword. I start off by just throwing the swords at the target dummies. Each time the sword hits where the heart would be or I make it hit the head. After a few throws I begin to act cocky, throwing them without looking and doing things like looking at my wrist as if I am checking the time while throwing them. They all still hit the heart, and as I look up at the gamemakers grinning a confident smile, I see them all looking quite impressed and laughing at my confidence.

I decide this isn't enough and I begin to set up a few dummies near each other, representing a cluster of tributes. I grab the same sword and swing it as I throw, and it slices through one dummies neck and lands in the stomach of another. I smile at my success and then I ask for a partner to fight with next. I spar for a bit with an instructor, and quickly I beat him, and he ends up on the floor, slightly out of breath. I decide I am finished and that I have showed enough.

"Thanks for watching" I say smiling to the gamemakers, might as well get them to like me even more. They all smile back politely and I leave the training room grinning smugly.

I must have got higher than an 8.

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

Loki leaves the training room with a smug smile on his face; it must have gone well for him. This means I have to be better than him to prove that I'm good too.

"Can we have Mercy Breen?"

I stand up and walk into the training room. I look up at the gamemakers and notice most of them are men; this is going to be easy to get them to like me. I walk to the middle and bite the edge of my lip.

"Mercy Breen, District 1" I smile and giggle flirtatiously. They all look at each other as if they like what they see and I turn around to begin.

I place a few dummies around, and then I grab a whip from the weapons wrack. The whip has a metal end which would hurt if it hit you and the actual whip part is quite long. I stand in front of the dummies, lean back and snap the whip forward. It wraps around the dummies neck a few times and I pull making it fall to the ground. I wanted to show how the whip can basically strangle someone easily; mainly a tribute. I run around quickly, showing how I can sneak up on tributes and just snap the whip round their necks. I see a few of the gamemakers smirk at my strategy and then to finish everything off, I get the whip and hit the dummy round the face with the metal tip, which would if it was a real person injure and distract them. I then run up to the dummie and strangle it tightly, and to add a nice touch I tie the whip in a bow around its next. As I step back to say I am finished, I see the gamemakers laugh slightly at this pretty girl who likes to tie nice bows, who a second ago was acting like a crazy killer.

"Thank you" I say, giggling like before, giving a cute little wave and winking at the head gamemaker in particular. He smiles but blushes slightly at my flirting. Perfect.

_Araluen Osman (18), District 2 Male-POV_

I sit in a room filled with the 23 other tributes, and yet I feel so alone. I miss my family so much, and I knew I would but not this much. I thought joining the careers would help me feel less lonely, and I guess it has a bit.

Mercy leaves the training room looking quite content.

"Araluen Osman?"

I stand up and slowly walk into the training room. I feel slightly nervous about the whole aspect of them watching me, but I try and hide it; they're not going to give a high score to an eighteen year old wimp.

"Araluen Osman, District 2" I say smiling charmingly.

I start by showing quickly how I'm pretty good at tying knots and ropes. I know it's not much, but they can make good traps so I might as well show them.

Next, I grab a slightly heavy weight and throw it across the training room. They don't look very impressed but that was only to make me look better after. I take the heaviest weight there is and throw it easily across again, and it lands at the other side of the training room. The gamemakers look slightly impressed, but I still have more to show. I grab the weight, and run up to the climbing wall with it. I scale the wall with one hand, holding the weight with another. When I reach the top, my arms are aching, but I still throw the weight as far as I can, and it just lands in front of the gamemakers box, making them all jump. I climb down from the wall and at this point my muscles are burning but I hide the pain from my face.

I nod at the gamemakers as I leave the room, and feel slightly relieved it's over.

_Micah Flay (18), District 2 Female-POV_

Araluen walks out of the training room with a pained look on his face which makes me want to know what he did. He'll probably tell me later, but we can't tell anyone else besides our escorts, because what we did is supposed to be private so there is more of a surprise for the audience in the actual games.

A woman calls me to go in, and I stand, wiping my sweat covered palms on my trousers. I don't know why I'm nervous, I can easily impress them.

I walk in and smile at the gamemakers waving sweetly. I want to seem as nice as possible so it will shock them when they see what I can do.

"Micah Flay, District 2" I smile again, fluttering my long eyelashes and making my big brown eyes look even bigger.

I walk over to the camouflage station, and paint my skin with browns and greens. I've always loved art, but I never really did it much. Once I am finished, I walk over to some trees which I asked them to set up. When I stand near a tree, I literally blend in so much that the gamemakers look round confused of where I have gone. I pull out the knives I secretly grabbed on my way to the camouflage station, and one by one I throw them around the room, hitting the different targets and dummies. I see the gamemakers heads turn from side to side as they watch the knives magically appear out of nowhere. While they are distracted, I quickly run to the bow and arrows station which is quite near and creep back to the trees unnoticed. I do the same thing that I did with the knives, and again they look shocked at how I got the bow and arrow in the first place.

I wanted to show, how I can hide from other tributes with camouflage and then sneak up and kill them before they can even see who I am.

Now that I have got their full attention, I walk out of the trees and give a small curtsy. A few smile at my intelligent behaviour by showing skill but also being smart about it, while others still look confused at how I blended in so well. The Capitol people can be quite simple minded at times.

I leave the training room, trying to rub the paint off my skin and the take the twigs and branches out of my normally perfect hair, which now resembles a bird nest. As I walk out, I notice everyone look at me strangely, some sniggering, I just smile at them, and leave the room. They won't be laughing when I get a good score.

_Lin Jacobs (12), District 3 Male-POV_

I watch as Micah leaves the training room, looking slightly ridiculous with twigs sticking out of her hair. My name is called and I walk in after her, my hands shaking slightly.

"Err... Lin Jacobs, District 3" The gamemakers nod and I begin.

I walk over to the camouflage section, and paint my body with touches of green, seeing as my skin is already dark. I then grab a few wires and some other electrical things from another station on my way to the set of trees which Micah obviously used. I climb as high as I can, which keeps me out of sight from the gamemakers and then begin working on the main part. I rest on a branch, and quickly fix together a few of the wires, remembering the sequence Bane had taught me once. I hold in my hand the few small little balls I have made, and when I see the gamemakers watching, I drop them. As they hit the ground, clouds of smoke fill the air and there are some sparks flying too. While they are distracted, I scale down the tree quickly, and run through the smoke to the other side of the room. Thank god it isn't too far; I'm not the best with long distances. I reach the end of the smoke cloud and stand in a clear space. I cough slightly to get the gamemakers attention and they all swing their heads round, shocked at where I am.

"Um, thanks" I say shyly as I head out of the room, hoping I will get a decent score from that display.

_Kadence Smith (14) District 3 Female-POV_

Lin walks out, covered in green paint and twigs all over him; looking rather like the 2 girl did before him.

"Can I have Kadence Smith?"

I stand up, feeling quite nervous and walk into the training room.

"Kadence Smith, District 3" I say shyly.

I head over to the knife throwing station and grab a hand full of knives, tucking some in the belt of my trousers. I look up and see the gamemakers are watching me so I start. I throw the two knives in my hands at the target and they both hit the bulls-eye. I then take the knives from my belt and begin to throw them, and I feel slightly cocky so I turn around and throw them backwards. When I look back at the board, all of the knives have hit or are around the bulls-eye. I look up at the gamemakers to see what they think and they all just look unsatisfied. I feel anger bubble up inside me; why aren't they impressed? I pick up a large knife and stand staring angrily.

"ARRGGHH!" I throw the knife across the room in anger and it flies across the training room and lands skilfully on another target across the room; which I find lucky seeing as I didn't mean to do that.

I walk to the middle of the room, slightly surprised at my own outburst. _Completely the wrong time Kadence!_

"Um... thanks" I say quietly as I leave the room, I look up at the gamemakers as I reach the door and they all look shocked at my sudden change of behaviour.

_Poseidon Hensworth (16), District 4 Male-POV_

"Poseidon Hensworth your next" A woman calls.

Aria gives me a thumbs up and I walk calmly into the training room.

"I'm Poseidon Hensworth, District 4" the head gamemaker nods and I walk over to the weapons wrack.

I pick up a scythe and then a trident and take them over to the middle of the room. I set up a few dummies around me and hold my scythe in one hand, trident in the other.

I throw the scythe and it swings, cutting through the middle of one of the dummies. I know it's not very realistic because in reality it would only slit the stomach or make a large gash; but it adds to affect so I don't mind. The way I threw the scythe made it land back near me and I pick it up again quickly, throwing it at another dummy and it goes through that one and stabs into another.

There is one left, so I run up to it and stab my trident into its stomach. I rip the dummie to shreds with the trident, the stuffing flying everywhere. I feel slightly savage while doing this but the gamemakers will love it; I know that for a fact. I then stroll around the dummies, stabbing one by one with the trident, maybe cutting one open down the middle every so often. I finish by stabbing the final dummy and carving a 'P' into it. I probably wouldn't do this to an actual tribute; but why let the gamemakers know that?

As I finish and thank the gamemakers, I see the head gamemaker smirk at my 'artwork'.

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

Poe leaves the training room and gives me a thumbs up to say it went ok. My name is called after and I walk through the door to the training room.

_It's show time._

I do a little run up and do two back flips and a hand spring which gets me into the middle. I've been doing gymnastics since I was 4, so I'll admit I'm pretty good. After my entrance I introduce myself.

"Aria Oreota, District 4" I smile at the gamemakers and run off towards the weapons.

I take a few knives and tuck them into the belt on my trousers. Once they are secure, I do some flips and cartwheels and as I come out of a cartwheel I throw a knife, which lands in the head of one of the dummies. I then tumble roll past it and throw another one, this time it lands where the heart would be. I do a handspring but swing my legs as I land taking out another dummie. I then ask for an instructor to fight with and one comes out.

We both circle round and I quickly catch them off guard and roll so I am behind him. He turns round but I perform the same move and am behind him again, which he doesn't expect. I hold one of the knives against his throat and he puts his hands up in surrender. I do a double back flip, throwing the knife behind me which lands in the middle of another target. I stand in the centre of the room and do a cute curtsy to the gamemakers. I smile again at them as I leave hoping they liked my little 'show'.

* * *

There's Districts 1-4's training sessions. I wanted to show everyones training session so I'm going to do them in three parts because it would of taken me too long to write all of them at the moment and I thought you would rather have one update than none. Anyway, I hope you liked them so far, and please review what you think! Also, you can PM me if you have any questions about the story!

Thanks for reading, _EllaC14:)_


	22. Private Training Sessions: Part Two

_Jackal West (14), District 5 Male-POV_

Both of the District 4 tributes looked pleased with their private training sessions; but I know I can do better than them.

"Jackal West?"

I stand up confidently, and stroll calmly into the training room. I push my glasses up so they rest nicely on my nose and introduce myself.

"I'm Jackal West, District 5" The head gamemaker nods and I walk off to begin.

First of all, I go to the fire station and pile some logs in the middle. I then use a simple way of lighting a fire by using some berries and a stick. The logs soon go alight and I smile in success. I look up at the gamemakers and I think they all seem impressed except for the few that are yawning. Actually all of them are yawning... but it was probably because the District 4 girl was so boring. Yeah, that's it.

I then walk over to the plants station and skilfully identify all the plants in less than fifteen seconds. I'm finished at that station quickly and then I decide to finish with my favourite weapon; a bow and arrow. I walk up and take a bow and arrow and stand in front of a target. I pull the string back and release, the arrow flies and it just misses the target. I try again, but it does the same thing. I decide I have shown enough skills anyway and begin to leave.

"Thanks" I say smiling to the gamemakers. They all just stare at me as I leave; but I know I've got a great score.

_Flair Rhodes (15), District 5 Female-POV_

After Jackal leaves smiling smugly, my name is called. I doubt he did very well, but he probably thought he did. I walk into the room feeling slightly nervous, but I push it away, I need to do well so I can win this thing and get home for my sister. I've been feeling a lot better after becoming Allies with Savannah; it helped knowing I wouldn't be alone in the arena.

"Flair Rhodes, District 5" I try to sound my bubbly self, and a few gamemakers smile at my enthusiasm and I hear one say 'aw, what a sweet little girl.'

I walk over to a range of weapons and hold a knife in each hand. I walk with a slight skip in my step towards some dummies you are able to fight with. I stare at one, and imagine a capitol man that could have killed my father. I feel myself getting angry, and my face goes hard as I punch my arm forward, slicing the chest of the dummy. Hand to hand combat is one of my strengths so I decide to show that off. I side kick the dummy where I sliced, and it falls to the floor. Before it can even hit the floor, I have already jumped on top of it, and I attack it with the knives, making the stuffing fly everywhere as I cut and dice it. I stand up, brushing the stuffing off my hands as I look down at the heap of material on the floor.

I run over to another dummy, and dive on it straight away, already slicing it up ferociously. I'm sure I hear myself snarl in anger but it could just have been my imagination. I then jump up from the other pile of material, and to finish off, I run and jump kick a dummy, knocking its head off its shoulders.

I decide I'm finished, and walk with the same skip in my step, and I smile and wave at the gamemakers.

"Thanks for watching" I say in a sing-song voice.

I look up at the gamemakers and their faces show a shocked expression at the sweet little girls' dangerous behaviour.

_Kyran Flint (17), District 6 Male-POV_

I sit waiting for Flair to finish her private training session so I can just do mine already. I want to get it over and done with so I can stop worrying about it. Flair walks out, looking quite happy, and my name is called so I stand up. Reina smiles at me reassuringly and I smile back as I walk in.

"Kyran Flint, District 6"

The head gamemaker nods and I walk off toward the sword station. I grab a long dagger, which has a razor sharp point at the end. I found out during training that I am rather talented with one, so I thought I might as well show it in my private training session. I start by throwing the sword. I walk over to the target, and stand a few metres away. I throw the sword and it lands just off the bulls-eye. I was hoping for the actual bulls-eye but that will do. I then retrieve the sword and go further away from the board, so I am a good distance away. I throw the sword again, and it stabs in the same place as before, which is good for how far away I am.

I then ask for a partner to fight against, and an instructor walks out holding a similar sword to me. I straight away catch him off guard and slice his stomach. He obviously has armour to protect him otherwise he would be lying in a puddle of blood right now. He swings for me but I block the blow and he turns a full circle to try again but I block it as well. He swings again, but I duck swinging at his legs, landing the swing in his shins. He flinches at the pain but carries on, swinging at my head, which makes me instinctively roll on to the floor and stand back up on the other side of him. He turns round confused and land my final blow, into his side. He holds his hands up in surrender and I think I have shown enough.

I nod to the gamemakers in thanks and leave the room, but I can't help thinking that I could be in that fighting situation for real, in only a few days time.

_Tess Hardy (14), District 6 Female-POV_

I sit across from Oliver in the waiting room; he keeps giving me flirty looks which just make me giggle. I am thankful for this though, it takes my mind off what is to come. Lili also sits on the opposite side of the room, and I can tell she also feels slightly nervous by the expression on her face. Kyran finishes and leaves the room and my name is called. I walk in to the training room and stand in the middle of the room.

"Tess Hardy, District 6" I say, more quietly than I expected. A gamemaker nods and I carry on standing in the middle.

"Um... can you time me?" I say pointing at my wrist to symbolise a watch. The head gamemaker nods and calls over an Avox which holds a stopwatch.

I stand at the edge of the room and get ready to run.

"Go!" I shout. I run as fast as I can around the training room, breathing as much oxygen as I can to last longer. In training I asked and an instructor told me the circumference of half the room is 100m. I sprint to the end of half way and look up at the gamemakers to tell them to stop the watch. They all look surprised by the time so I hope it was good. In training I timed myself and I just got under 10 seconds which I'm hoping I got then.

I then do some more running, at a good speed, but instead of just running round normally I swerve in and out of things and jump over fallen dummies and other obstacles. I show how I can run for long distances and short distances and when I can't run anymore I finish.

"Thank you" I say to the gamemakers.

I leave the room and I hope I have done enough.

_Itzel Minx (14), District 7 Male-POV_

The 6 girl finishes and I stand up ready to go in. I'm ok with training in front of the gamemakers. It will just make me angrier with them being near me so it goes in my favour.

"Itzel Minx?" A woman asks and I nod.

I walk through the doors slamming them shut behind me. I stare at the gamemakers with an almost annoyed expression.

"Itzel Minx, District 7"

I walk over and grab a large axe from a group of weapons. Straight away I lean back and with all my strength I throw it across the room. The axe imbeds its self in the head of a dummy and the impact makes the whole thing split down the middle. I grab a few littler ones from behind me and throw them quickly each one hitting into other dummies around the room, landing where the heart would be. I pick up another one and throw it so it curls and instead of going forward which you would expect, it goes to the side and hits another dummy in the chest. I hold a large axe in each hand and lean back, throwing them both across the room, and this time they both land in the centre of a target.

Just for laughs, I throw one in the air towards the gamemakers and they all become scared and flinch. I obviously wasn't going to let it hit them and I threw it so it would spin and hit another target. Oh, but it was hilarious to watch and totally worth it. A few gamemakers laugh at their flinching, while others don't seem very amused.

I think that's enough and a pretty good finish so I nod to the gamemakers and walk out of the training room; still laughing at the look on their scared faces.

_Iliad "Lili" Quarmen, District 7 Female-POV_

I sit in the waiting room thinking about how I should act for the gamemakers. I wonder whether to act weak and get a low score so no-one sees me coming in the games, or shall I act strong and get a good score but then tributes might aim their attacks at me. Itzel walks out of the training room almost... smiling? I don't think I've ever seen him smile. My name is called and I walk into the training room.

"I'm... um... Iliad Quarmen, District 7" I mumble, trying to make myself look weak. I decided to act weak now, but suddenly shock them when I show them my skills. I walk off towards some axes and pick some little ones up in my hands. I throw them and one lands in the side of a target another doesn't even hit it.

I look down as if I am ashamed, but then I look up at the gamemakers smirking. I turn round and grab a large axe easily, and I think I hear a few sniggers from the gamemakers. I lean back and throw the axe far, it lands in the bulls-eye of a target and the target falls back from the hit.

I look up again at the gamemakers who now look slightly confused and shocked. I shrug and giggle slightly, and I see the realisation on their faces as they understand that I was just faking my weakness. The head gamemaker nods in understanding and smirks slightly.

I turn around grabbing two axes and throwing them over my shoulder at some dummies. They both land in the heads and I smile slightly impressed at myself. I think it's more of a shock because I am only twelve, but what do you expect from someone who has lived in a District where nearly every family owns an axe!

I don't want to reveal too much, and begin to leave waving at the gamemakers. I secretly hid some smaller axes so they couldn't see, and I turn around quickly and throw them across the room at other targets. I hear a laugh from the gamemakers as I leave. They are obviously surprised by my 'weak' self.

_Chase Sedesky (15), District 8 Male-POV_

I sit next to Jazzy holding her hand in support. I don't know whether the support is for her or me but I convince myself it's for her.

"Chase Sedesky is next"

Jazzy squeezes my hand and I stand up and walk into the training room.

"Chase Sedesky, District 8" I smile seductively, especially at the woman gamemakers, and some of the men; might as well you don't know what they like.

I run over to the weapons and pick up a long sword, holding it securely in my hand. I throw it at a target and it just misses the bulls-eye. I do this a couple of times and I hit the bulls-eye once which I am happy about.

I then ask for a partner and begin to spar with them; remembering what Jazzy taught me. I block their first hit and swing myself which catches them in the leg. We fight and their doesn't seem to be a sudden winner. I feel sweat drip down my head and I swing which hits their stomach. It takes the breath out of them and they hold their hands up to stop. I can't really think of anything else to show, so I quickly take a sword and swing it and it takes the head off a dummy.

"Thanks" I say as I leave the room, wiping the sweat off my head, no longer feeling as nervous.

_Jazzy Kaede (14), District 8 Female-POV_

Chase walks out and smiles at me reassuringly as my name is called. I stand up, and walk into the training room. I haven't told Chase yet, but I have decided to look weak and hopeless. I believe, if I get a bad score, the tributes will leave me alone to just be killed by a random weapon flying in the air. They won't be bothered if I leave the beginning fight unscathed, as they will think I won't get far anyway or will get killed later on; and I will say, I am a _very_ good liar.

"Jazzy Kaede, District 8" I look down shyly and turn around to start.

I walk over to the fire starting station and sit down to start a fire. It would be simple to make a fire, but I act like it is incredibly difficult. I finally start it and a tiny flame appears. Once I am finished there, I walk off towards the plants station. I do want to at least get a 2, so I match all the plants up correctly in record time.

I will admit, I am good at running, but as I run over to another station, I purposely make myself stumble and fall to the floor. I get up, and for affect, I make tears spring into my eyes. _Oh what a good actress I am._ I walk over to the knives, and take some in my hands. I throw one and it flies past a target. The next one lands barely two feet in front of me, and the third one just hits the edge of a target.

I shrug at my rubbish attempt and look around as if I have nothing else to show. I thank the gamemakers and I see a few of them look at me with sympathy.

As I leave the training room I laugh quietly to myself. The Capitol people aren't the most intelligent and are _definitely_ very gullible.

* * *

Hope your liking the story and please keep reviewing!

Thanks, _EllaC14:)_


	23. Private Training Sessions: Part Three

_Caleb York (13), District 9 Male-POV_

I sit tapping my feet nervously and my stomach feels like it has been tied in knots over and over again. I know I'm not going to get a good score, but I just don't want to have to face those horrible gamemakers. I'm naturally not good with people, seeing as I have spent years not talking to any. Reina seems ok, but she has found an Allie now, so why wouldn't she be.

"Can I have Caleb York?"

I look up at the woman in front of me, and I stand up, feeling like I'm going to be sick right in this spot. I slowly walk; well it's more like a shuffle, into the training room. I stand in the middle, staring up at the powerful gamemakers. They all fix their beady glares on me, and I feel like a thousand more eyes are watching too.

"I'm...um... C-C-Caleb York, D-D-District 9" The head gamemaker nods, sniggering slightly at my spluttering.

I walk off and look around. What can I even do? I didn't think this far... I feel the eyes staring at me again, and feel panic run through me. I look up at the gamemakers, and they all seem distracted by some drinks that have been brought in. They aren't looking, but it still feels like people are watching me, every step, every movement. I feel the walls closing in, _it's just the panic, don't stress_. They keep moving, and I do the only thing I am good at; hiding.

I run towards a rack full of weapons, and crawl underneath. I can fit exactly under the gap seeing as I am still rather thin from my lack of food, and my whole body is hidden, and my black clothes help me blend in with the darkness.

"Hey, where's the kid gone?" I hear one of the gamemakers say. They all look around, leaning over the glass screen to look around better.

I try to slow down my fast heart beat, breathing in and out, in and out. I stay in the same position for a few minutes, by this time the gamemakers are still confused where I've actually gone. I finally wriggle out of my hiding spot, and walk quickly out of the room, mumbling a quick thanks to the gamemakers.

I hope I never have to experience that panic again.

_Reina Luckmere (17), District 9 Female-POV_

The numbers in the waiting room have been getting lesser by the minute. Kyran left a while ago, and I kind of hoped he could stay to help take my mind off of the private training sessions, but they were told they had to leave straight after. Caleb walks out, and I feel sorry for my district partner who looks rather shaken up at the moment. My name is called and I walk into the training room. I jog slightly into the middle and face the gamemakers.

"Reina Luckmere, District 9" I say, trying to sound more confident than I actually am.

I start by just showing my plant identifying skills. I go to that station, and quickly identify all the plants. You learn quite a lot when you live off them.

I then run over to the snares and traps station and begin to build a rather complicated snare. It works well and I show how it snaps quickly. I then build a trap, which I attach to a bar high up - like it could be attached to a tree branch, and it is made of a net type structure. I cover it with leaves and branches, so it would blend in with a forest floor. I then grab a target dummy and stand it in front of the trap, and then take a few small knives, and throw them quickly at the dummy. These knives hit the dummy, but even if they didn't they would make the 'person' move backwards. The dummy falls back, landing in the trap, which drags them up, and some ropes wrap around the actual body and around the dummies neck. It could, or could not kill an actual person, but either way it would trap them so you could kill them.

I thank the gamemakers as I leave and I see them look quite surprised at my intelligent skills. As I walk out of the door, I smile at my success.

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

The District 9 girl walks out of the training room smirking, she must think she did well. I'm feeling ok, pretty positive actually. My change of moods has been sky high lately, but I'm trying to tone them down slightly if I can, ever since I got kicked out of Training because of my little... outburst. I don't really know what came over me; I just don't like it when people talk about my parents. Yeah, sure the instructor didn't know my parents were killed; but it still hurts.

I walk into the room and look around feeling like such an idiot. I haven't even thought of what I'm going to do yet...Why can't I do one thing right? I punch the wall next to me in anger, leaving a slight crack in the paint work. I walk off, feeling angry at myself. I know I should try and calm down, but maybe being like this will help me seem more of a fighter. They already saw me at Training when I got annoyed, so why not show that 'me' now. I reach the middle and give the gamemakers an evil grin. A few recognise me and smile to themselves.

"Luka Kingston Jeredi, District 10"

I walk over to some weapons and take a knife in each hand. I spin them around with my fingers acting slightly cocky. I calmly walk over to a dummy and kick it down with the base of my foot. I would have punched it, but my hand still slightly hurts from hitting the wall. I crouch over it, sill smiling almost psychopathically; the gamemakers will love it though. I rest my knees on its legs, so if it was a real person it couldn't get away. I take a knife, and stab it into the stomach, I twist it sharply and some stuffing falls out. I take the other knife, and press it into the head, straight through the middle. I then take both knives, and draw and 'X' through the middle of the stomach. I almost squirm at the thought of blood pouring out of the X, in waves of bright red. I stand up, and pick up the dummy. I throw it over my shoulder and pin it on the wall, with two knives holding up the hands. I then walk away, and take a larger knife. I throw it across the room, and it lands in the middle of the X. I feel that I am finished, and give a small shrug. I leave the room, nodding to the gamemakers and as I reach near the door, I see the small crack in the wall I had made and grin.

I think I'm starting to like this 'alter ego' of mine.

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

As Luka walks out of the training room, my name is called for me to go in. I cross paths with him, and he seems quite happy. I don't understand him, one minute he's carefree and ok to be around, and other times he's angry and I can't stand to be near him. I walk into the training room and I feel slightly worried. The gamemakers must be slightly bored by now, how can I impress them when they have probably seen so many better already?

"Savannah King, District 10" I try to smile at the gamemakers, but I find their stares very intimidating. The head gamemaker nods at me to begin, and rest his chin on his hand and lets out a yawn. That can't be good.

I walk over to the weapons, and look around for one of my weapons of choice. I see the long whip, and take the handle firmly in my hands. I snap it just to make sure I can use it properly, and it seems to be fine. I ask for an instructor to fight with and the instructor holds a long dagger. I swing the whip straight away, and it hits the instructors' ankles. I see him flinch but he carries on. He tries to hit me with the dagger, but I swerve and hit him round the face with the whip. He doesn't expect this, and looks annoyed; probably because his 'beautiful face' is ruined, he doesn't need to worry though, the Capitol can fix that for him. I hit him again, and it lands in the stomach. We keep fighting for a while, and I decide to end seeing as there doesn't seem to be a winner.

I then take a long piece of rope and tie a secure not in it, creating a lasso. I remember back to a day when my Father and I were working on the ranch.

"_Dad please don't kill him, he can't help it" I cry, begging my dad to not kill this innocent cow._

"_I have to Savannah, it's the way things are" he says._

"_What?" I ask confused._

"_Everybody has to die at one point in life, it's just that this cows' time is now" I nod and slightly cover my eyes, but I watch as my father takes his lasso, and uses it to snap the animals neck, letting it die peacefully._

I decide I want to show this method of killing, the gamemakers will like it, thinking it's an evil method , but I know it's nice way of dying; quick and painful. I take the lasso, and throw it round a dummies neck, and with a quick pull and twist, the head snaps to the side. I leave the lasso still on the dummies neck and I thank them as I leave. As much as I could have looked like a killer then, I will never be like one of them.

_Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV_

"Brock Stern?"

I stand up and march into the training room. I just want to get this over with. I don't want to look at those evil Capitol citizens for more than five minutes.

"Brock Stern, District 11" I grunt.

I walk off and grab a few of the heaviest weights in my hands and throw them across the room easily, each one landing in the wall at the other side; which means they could of gone way further. I get bored of this quickly, and ask for someone to fight with next.

A man around the same size as me comes out, and we circle round, staring at each other. I get ready to attack, and quickly look to the side of me, where Malaya stands cheering me on. She doesn't look as happy as usual, but she obviously wants me to do well. I run at the man, grabbing him at the legs and throwing him to the floor. He slams into the ground, and I jump on him so I elbow him in the stomach. He splutters and punches me in the jaw which hardly affects me, and he tries to stand back up, but I put all of my weight on both of his arms so he can't move, and I rest my legs on his knees so he can't kick me either. I give one final punch to the stomach, and he lets out another spluttering cough. I decide it's enough, and let him free.

I get up, and leave the room spitting blood on the floor, from the instructors punch. I don't even acknowledge the gamemakers again, I've been near them enough already.

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

As I walk into the training room, I exchange looks with Brock. He looks angry for sure, but when he sees me he tries to look less brutal. I walk in, and stand in front of the gamemakers.

"Ashley Blake, District 11" I say in a high, sweet voice.

I can tell the game makers are rather tired of all these training sessions, so I know I won't be too of interest to them.

I run over to a range of weapons, and pick up a large scythe. I hear a few sniggers from the gamemakers seeing this small girl holding a rather dangerous weapon. I glare slightly at them, to let them know I heard; I really don't appreciate it, I'd like to see them do what I have to do. I run over to the climbing wall, on my way slicing a head off a dummy, and using one hand; seeing as I have to hold the scythe with the other, scale the wall quickly. I reach the top, and decide it's not high enough. I see a bar above me, which must be part of some type of scaffolding. If I swing on the bar I can reach a higher platform, which will make me looked more skilled. I grip the handle of the scythe with my teeth; which is not easy, and I jump, propelling myself towards the bar. I imagine it's like a tree branch at home, which I had to swing off many times to get higher so I could see over the orchards. My hands grasp the bar, the muscles in my arms aching as they hold me up, and I swing so am on the platform. By now, I am at the highest point in the training room.

I look around, wondering how I can get down to the floor in an impressive way. I spot a rope, hooked to the side out of the way. I pull it out of its holster, and grip it with one hand, holding the scythe with the other. I take a deep breath, and jump off the platform, falling towards the ground, hoping the rope isn't too long and I fall to my death consequently. As I become close to the ground, the rope shortens and I swing. I swipe my scythe, taking out two dummies heads. I reach the wall, and kick off of it, heading the other way where I slice another dummy through the body. I do this a few more times, but when I begin to lose my momentum, I drop to the floor.

I walk to the middle, and smile in thanks at the gamemakers, which have slightly shocked faces at my skills.

Let's see them try and do that.

_Oliver Istas (16), District 12 Male-POV_

Annalisa and I are the only tributes left in the waiting room. We've been waiting here the longest, and I am becoming rather tired of it. I was passing the time, by flirting with Tess, which I enjoy, but she left a while ago, and I only have Annalisa to talk to; unless you count the snobbish Capitol woman.

"Oliver?" She says, yawning from her hours of working.

I stand up and walk into the training room. I look up at the gamemakers, who also look tired. Some look intoxicated with alcohol, so I hope they can still judge my training.

"Oliver Istas, District 12" I smile, but they hardly pay attention to me even entering.

I ask for a partner to fight with, seeing as I'm only really good at physical strength.

A man walks out and I stand my fists in the air. He makes the first move, and steps forward swinging at my face. I duck, and punch him in the stomach. He hits me back in the shoulder, but it isn't too bad. I take a risk, and dive forward at his shins, wrapping my arms around his legs and knocking him backwards. I kneel on his chest, and punch him hard, straight in the face. He somehow though, pushes me back and punches me in the stomach. I flinch, but quickly send a kick straight at his chest, and he falls back breathless. I am very out of breath at this moment, but luckily my opponent says to finish which I am happy about.

"Thanks" I say to the gamemakers as I walk out.

I didn't show much, but I hope it was enough.

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

I sit alone in the waiting room. Well... I'm not alone, the strange Capitol woman is here with me, but I think I would rather be alone than with her.

"I guess it is you next then, well who else can it be?" she says laughing. I don't see why she finds this funny, but then they find children killing each other fun to watch, so I'm not going to try and figure out how their brains work.

I walk into the training room, and look up at the gamemakers who are laughing. I doubt it's about anything funny; they are probably just too drunk to know what they're talking about.

"I'm Annalisa Soleil, District 12" I think I see the head gamemaker nod, but he's half asleep anyway. It really annoys me, and if it wasn't for the fact that he could decide if I die in a few days, I would be getting very angry right now.

I walk over to some weapons, and find some nun-chucks. I grip them tightly in my hands, and swing them just to get used to them. I decided, I would show some martial arts, which my Father knew how to do and taught me too, and incorporate nun-chucks into it seeing as I'm pretty good at using them too. I like the fact that I am doing something my Father taught me, I feel like I am making him proud.

I run up to a dummy, and jump kick it, making it fly across the room. I swing my nun-chucks to the side, hitting a dummy in the neck, its head flies off of its shoulders; which I didn't actually expect. I decide to do this again, and another head flies off. I spin in a full circle, knocking another three heads off; it is quite fun. I do a few more punches, and kicks and then stop for a second to look up at the gamemakers.

There are about three of them that are awake or at least watching. I feel myself going red in anger, so I storm out of the room; I do mumble a quick thanks though seeing as I don't want to get killed; and slam the doors behind me.

Stupid Capitol.

* * *

There you go... the end of the private training sessions! I hope your enjoying the story, and we're getting so close to the actual games*yay*. Just a quick note... I think I am going to change my pen name, so don't be confused if their is a different name.

Thanks, and keep reviewing! _EllaC14:)_


	24. Private Training Scores

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

I sit on my bed, slowly brushing my long hair, over and over. It takes my mind off things which I don't want to think about; like the fact, I am around people, who I hardly know and any one of them could be related to the man I despise; the man who killed my brother. So many times, I have wanted my loving parents, to wrap me in their arms, and tell me everything is going to be ok, that I am going to come home, and be safe. I lay my hair brush on my dressing table and pick up the silver ring Griffin gave to me. I read the words engraved on the side-

_Winners never quit and quitters never win._

Griffin told me, that he always remembered these words during his fight in the war. Whenever he felt to give up, he reminded himself that he won't win the fight if he does. I slide the ring on my finger, so I can remember these words myself. If I give up in the arena, I will never get home to my family.

"Mercy! The training scores will be on soon!" Bluebelle calls.

"Ok, I'll be there in a minute!"

I walk into my bathroom and splash some cold water on my face. I'm slightly nervous for the training scores to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I know I will get a good score, and I know that the other careers will too, if not better! I thought of this when I invented the careers in the first place- (which I am very proud of.) But, today is when we learn if the other tributes could stand a chance, and it's harder to think about 23 other people rather than just the other 5 careers. The water calms me down, and I leave the room, plastering a fake smile on my face.

"Hi everybody," I say greeting everyone in the living area. Around me are, Loki sitting with a smug smile on his face, his arms crossed over his chest staring at the television screen waiting for the scores, both of our stylists chatting about the latest fashionable hair colours and our escort Bluebelle, sitting on the sofa nervously tapping her foot. I sit down next to Loki and begin to talk to him.

"So... how do you think you did?"

"Good, you?"

"Better than good," I say smiling and he laughs slightly.

"If you say so..." he then directs his attention to an avox, and asks for a glass of water.

"I'll have some champagne" I say, giggling at how grown up I sound... "Why don't you join me Loki?"

"Sure, we'll be celebrating after all" he says. We both take our glasses and I take a sip, tasting the crisp alcohol.

"Oh, it's starting!" Bluebelle says excitedly. I avert my gaze to the screen where the screen lights up showing the Capitol emblem.

'District 1' shows up on the screen, and I sit on the edge of my chair slightly, eager for the results. Loki's face shows up on the screen first. It's a good picture of him, his blonde hair meets his blue eyes making them shine, and he smirks cockily which kind of suits him.

A '9' flashes over his picture, and the people around m squeal with joy. Loki stands up, punching his fists in the air in celebration.

"Well done," I say, I mean it, _why would I want an Allie with a bad training score?_

"Thanks Mercy" he says smiling.

We all settle down and my picture appears on the screen next. My hair is pulled into two bunches, and I'm smiling cutely. I feel my stomach doing summersaults, and I just want them to reveal my score already.

A '9' also appears on my picture, and I jump around, clapping my hands happily. I'm really pleased with that score; it's quite high so I obviously impressed them.

"That's great, we both got really good scores!" Loki says smiling, he pulls me into a hug, and I hug him back. I don't have any 'feelings' for Loki, but he can be sweet sometimes, and he was friends with Griffin so I see him more as a 'brother' figure than a love interest. I needed this hug; it just made me feel a lot better.

"I know! I'm so pleased!" I say.

"Come on you two, we need to watch the rest" Bluebelle says. Loki and I quickly clink our glasses together in celebration, and then look to the screen to see how our Alliance will do.

Araluen appears next, smiling genuinely, he really is a nice guy, and I really can't imagine him killing somebody. An '8' flashes over his picture. That's another good score. Micah appears next, her long spiralling hair framing her face. I've actually grown to be friends with her throughout the training sessions. A '9' appears on the screen, which I obviously find good seeing as I got the same. I bet Micah is really happy.

District 3 is after, and the boy, Lin, is on the screen. He seems so small and young; I guess he is only twelve. He gets a '4'. For someone like me that would be bad, but for a twelve year old I guess it's acceptable. The girl Kadence comes up next smiling shyly. She gets a '6'. That's good, she is only fourteen. I don't think I need to watch out for District 3, they don't seem too much of a problem.

District 4 is next, my other Allies. Poe is on the screen first, and you can tell he is from 4 just by his golden tan. He's ok though, probably the calmest of us all. He also gets a '9'. We all seem to be doing well so far. Aria is next, she seems fine, quite quiet though and I'm not sure she is a hundred percent in this alliance; but we will soon see. A '10' flashes on the screen. A ten! Wow! She must have been really good. I feel a pang of jealousy run through me at the fact she got a higher score than me, but she is older, and I think she has been training for a while too.

District 5 appears, and that boy who thinks he is amazing, Jackal, appears on the screen. He just looks like a wimpy kid to me, and it really confuses me when he boasts about how he is going to win. Is he serious? Like I expected, he gets a '2' and I snigger slightly. I see Loki does the same thing; he obviously isn't keen either. The girl, Flair appears after; she looks like she is bursting with energy, and has a smile from ear to ear. She gets a '7'. A seven! The sweet looking girl who looks like she is full of rainbows and sunshine somehow got a seven. I know it's not the best, but I might need to watch out for her anyway.

District 6 is next, and the boy Kyran's picture comes up. I can never take this boy seriously, after seeing him dressed as a car at the chariots. In his photo, he isn't even smiling; very different to the boy at the chariots. Actually thinking about it, he didn't look very happening at training either. He gets a '5'; I guess that's kind of good, more average though. Tess's face appears next on the screen, she smiles shyly, her red hair hiding her face slightly. She also gets a '5', which is good too

District 7 surprises me. The boy Itzel, doesn't surprise me that much, I guessed he would have got an ok score. He gets a '7' which is pretty good. The girl, Iliad is the one that surprises me. The scrawny twelve year old also gets a '7'! How did she get that? She could be another to look out for, I could obviously beat her but she could sneak up on me without me even realising.

District 8 is next, I've noticed these two have been getting rather 'close' lately, I wonder what their backgrounds are, if they knew each other before the games. Chase is first, he smiles almost... seductively. He gets a '5', again its average, but good for someone like him. For one of the careers it would be shameful. Jazzy is after, grinning cutely. A '2' comes up on the screen. That is not good. I don't need to worry about her then, she'll be one of the first killed.

District 9 comes after, and the boy Caleb is on the screen. He looks so scared, his eyes big and weary. He gets a '1'. I can't say I am surprised; he obviously isn't the strongest, or the most skilled. I feel slight pity for him, but I push it away. You can't feel pity for someone in the Hunger Games. Reina is next, she is quite pretty actually. Not as pretty as me, but you know what I mean. She looks like the intelligent type, and is smirking slightly as if she knows something you don't. Micah told me she saw her and Kyran together in training, maybe there is something going on between them two too. She gets a '6', which is also very good for her.

District 10 is next, and the crazy male tribute Luka is on the screen. His outburst in training must of impressed the gamemakers, the Capitol love 'Drama'. He gets a '7', which is good; I guessed he would of got around that score. The girl Savannah is on the screen after. Loki and her had a bit of a moment the other day; he saved her from drowning or something stupid like that. I hope it doesn't affect him in the games though, he doesn't want that. A '6' flashes onto the screen, which is acceptable for her.

District 11 shocks me the most. The beast male tribute Brock is first. I hate him. He had no right to confront me like that in training. We were only messing around, but he took it too far. So I swear, I will make him pay in the games. He gets a '7'. This annoys me slightly as he got a decent score, but I snigger seeing as I got a better score than him. Ashley though, the little girl who is smiling sweetly in her picture, gets an '8'! An eight! How did a thirteen year old get the same score as an eighteen year old career? I look at Loki who looks as confused as I am. I'll be watching out for her too, she could be a problem. I stare at the screen still confused, when the last scores are announced.

District 12 does quite good. Oliver smiles flirtatiously in his picture, and gets a '6'. He doesn't seem too impressive in person, but maybe he is slightly better than I thought. Annalisa is the same, she just seems like a normal kid who likes to joke around, but obviously she is also better than I thought as she gets a '6' too.

The Capitol emblem finishes off the scores and Bluebelle turns the television off.

"What do you think?" Bluebelle asks.

"There were a few... surprises, but nothing we can't handle, right?" I say smirking.

Loki smirks too, nodding in agreement.

* * *

Training Scores

District 1:

Male: Loki Braveheart: 9

Female: Mercy Breen: 9

District 2:

Male: Araluen Osman: 8

Female: Micah Flay: 9

District 3:

Male: Lin Jacobs: 4

Female: Kadence Smith: 6

District 4:

Male: Poseidon (Poe) Hensworth: 9

Female: Aria Oreota: 10

District 5:

Male: Jackal West: 2

Female: Flair Rhodes: 7

District 6:

Male: Kyran Flint: 5

Female: Tess Hardy: 5

District 7:

Male: Itzel Minx: 7

Female: Iliad "Lili" Quarmen: 7

District 8:

Male: Chase Sedesky: 5

Female: Jazzy Kaede: 2

District 9:

Male: Caleb York: 1

Female: Reina Luckmere: 6

District 10:

Male: Luka Kingston Jeredi: 7

Female: Savannah King: 6

District 11

Male: Brock Stern: 7

Female: Ashley Blake: 8

District 12

Male: Oliver Istas: 6

Female: Annalisa Soleil: 6

* * *

There are the scores, if you have any questions about them or the story just PM me:) Sorry for the kind of late updates, 1: My laptop messed up and I couldn't write and 2: I might not be able to update every day anymore, because I am either busy or the chapter is too long to write in one afternoon. I am trying to update every two days though, but it could be slightly longer if the chapter is long . I will try not to leave it too many days thoughas I want to get to the games as soon as possible, so don't worry!:)

Thanks for reading and all your reviews and keep reviewing,

_-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories :) (My new Pen name, do you like it? :P)_


	25. Interview Preperations

_Araluen Osman (18), District 2 Male –POV_

"Araluen! Open your door this instant!"

My eyes slowly flicker open, to my escorts screeching voice. I wrap my cover round me and climb out of bed, shuffling towards the door.

"Araluen open the..."

"What?" I say, swinging the door open.

"Oh my you look terrible!" Flame says, pulling a face, "What happened?"

"I ... was asleep?" I say, giving her a look,"Until you woke me that is"

"What? You should have been up ages ago! Quickly get ready and be in the living room in ten minutes, I need to talk to you and Micah!" She turns around and struts down the hall way.

"Ergh..." I grunt, slamming my door behind me, I am _not_ a morning person. I throw my cover onto my bed, and go to the bathroom to shower. I look in the mirror, my cheeks are puffy and red and my black hair is knotted and all over the place. No wonder Flame was shocked when she saw me. I jump into the shower, turning the water full blast and on a hot temperature to warm me up. I use a coconut soap, it reminds me of home as my mother loved coconut and the house always smelt like it. I get out of the shower and run a comb through my hair, smoothing it down. I put on some blue jeans and black shirt, not needing to dress up. I put my father's coin into my pocket, not wanting to lose it and I walk out of room.

'I'm here, we can start!" I say, grabbing some toast quickly as it is being cleared away from the breakfast table. I sit down next to Micah, and Flame stands in front of us, pacing back and forth. She comes to a sudden stop and begins talking.

"Right, tonight is the interviews; do you remember when I explained them to you?" I do, the interviews are basically where we have to sit in front of a huge crowd of the Capitol and we are on television too. We just get asked questions, whether personal or not, and we need to present ourselves well so people will like us and sponsor us. Micah and I nod and Flame continues.

"Good, so today I am going to teach you both how to act when you are on stage and we are going to find an interview angle for you too."

I wonder what my interview angle could be...

"Araluen, I will help you first while Micah is with her stylist to see her outfit, and then you will both swap, understood?" We both nod in unison again and Micah leaves with her stylist and I am left in the room with Flame.

"Ok, what do you think your interview angle should be?" she says, she leans forward and stares at me. I notice her eyes are a weird orange colour but they are red around the edge; guess it adds to the flame theme.

"I don't really know, I could just be myself"

"And what is that Araluen?"

"Just... chilled out, casual... and I'm naturally a nice person so that could be in my favour" I sit for a second, staring back at her, waiting for an answer.

"Yes... that's good, add charming and your quite funny, that will help and the Capitol will love you!" She smiles brightly and I nod in agreement.

I can do that, this will be easy.

_Kadence Smith (14), District 3 Female-POV_

"I give up!" I shout, throwing the stupid book across the room. My escort Fifi has been teaching me how to act like a 'Lady'. I thought, that's easy, I pretend to be a stuck up woman from the Capitol all the time, but I didn't realise it meant I had to walk up and down a room, with a book balanced on my head, while in 6inch heels! Are you kidding me? I know I'm short, but there is no need for these ridiculous shoes.

"Please don't shout!" Fifi screeches.

"Fine, but I am _not _wearing these shoes!"

"I didn't say you were, it's just to practice, if you can walk well in heels, you can walk excellent in any shoes!"

I just groan and carry on. I walk up and down, up and down until I finally make it without tripping over, or the book falling off my head.

"Yes!" I say, jumping around happily; but not exactly thinking it through as I wobble and fall over in my heels. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

I limp over to the sofa, and sit down pulling the heels off my feet and chucking them across the room in anger.

"Please can you not throw things!" Fifi exclaims, walking over and picking up the heels. I rub my ankle which I hurt in the fall, and call over an avox.

"Can I have some ice please?" I say, looking at my ankle which is now starting to bruise. The avox nods and quickly walks out of the room.

"I know one good thing that we have achieved" Fifi says.

"And what would that be?" I say, gritting my teeth as I press the ice I had been given on my ankle.

"I know what your interview angle can be!" She smiles proudly but I just stare blankly at her. "You can act cute, but have a feisty edge to you!"

I consider the idea. I think I can pull that off, it's rather like how I am now.

"Ok, I think I can do that"

"Great, now your stylist is waiting for you so you can get ready; and I have heard they have a lovely dress for you!" She smiles and walks off to the bathroom.

Now I have to wear a dress? This days just getting better and better...

_Kyran Flint (17), District 6 Male-POV_

I sit on a chair in boredom, waiting for my escort Stephan to meet me; I have just been with my stylist and my outfit isn't too bad, it's what I would expect I guess. Stephan comes in; he has had a new tattoo done, a number 6 on his neck. I wonder if he will do this every time if he gets a new district. The amount of tattoos he has anyway, you can hardly see it. He sits down opposite me, and stares at me quizzically. I look down awkwardly, waiting for him to talk.

"What are you like back in your district Kyran?" He stares at me, and I just stay looking down.

I know, if I tell him what I am like, he will want me to act like it. If I tell him, I was the joker, the clown, everyone laughed at my jokes funny or not. I just have that nice guy personality, the one that no-one can hate. But if I tell Stephan that, he will want me to act like it, and I refused to when I came to the Capitol. I brought it out for the chariots, to make a bad situation good, but now I'm not sure if I want to.

"Erm..." I hesitate.

"It could save you Kyran, so tell me the honest truth"

"Remember what I was like at the chariots? Joking around, making everyone laugh? That's what I am like at home..."

"That's great! The Capitol loved you when you were dressed as the car; you had them in the palm of your hands" he looks the happiest I have seen him, he obviously thinks we have a chance now.

"I guess so... I mean, it will be easy to make them laugh, no offence but the Capitol aren't exactly the brightest..." he sniggers at this.

"See what I mean? If I find a little comment like that funny, think about the rest of the Capitol! Just be careful though, you don't want to offend them"

I nod understandingly, the Capitol are capable of anything. They could kill me without even thinking. I look at the Avox's around the room and shudder at the thought of being silenced forever.

"Seriously Kyran, you could be great at these interviews"

I nod smiling, I can do this.

* * *

Quick Disclaimer seeing as I haven'y done one yet: I do not own the Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins does.

Anyway, this was just a quick chapter before the actual interviews. I want to do the interviews like the private training, so it will be in three parts. It might take me longer to write them, but I will try my hardest to update soon! Thanks for all your reviews by the way, I love reading them!

Thanks, -_DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories:)_


	26. Interviews: Part One

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

I stand at the side of the stage, peering through the long velvet curtain. The crowd of Capitol citizens stretches back until you can only see pea sized people. I'm not worried about the interview too much, I'm naturally very good at... convincing people.

I smooth down my bright green dress which is very beautiful. The green matches my eyes and makes them 'pop', it comes above my knee and it has golden detailing on the sides, which matches my golden 6inch heels. I can walk in heels easily; I used to wear my mother's all the time back in District 1. Oh how I miss my district, as much as the Capitol is quite amazing, I still miss District 1 so much. My stylist has also, done my hair so it falls in luscious waves, blending in with the gold detailing. She has put on some gold eyeliner on the top of my eyes and some shimmering gold lipstick which is actually quite nice.

The presenter for the interviews, Carlton Flickerman, is on the stage telling jokes and chatting to the audience. He is dressed in Gold, with shimmering gold hair and a tinted sparkling skin. A bit feminine for a man but that's what the Capitol is like I guess. But, Bluebelle told me he is definitely straight, so it will help my interview angle. I have to act intelligent, yet sexy and look beautiful as well... easy, I am like that anyway!

"I would like to invite to the stage, our first tribute, District 1's Mercy Breen!" Carlton announces the cloud all scream and cheer.

I strut out onto the stage, smiling at the audience. I flick my long blonde locks over my shoulder as I reach Carlton, and shake his hand.

"Hi Mercy how are you?" Carlton says.

"I'm great now! What a wonderful audience, and can I just say how amazing you all are!" I smile again, blowing kisses to a few of the males in the audience.

"Aw that's sweet, and can I just say you look amazing, doesn't she ladies and gentlemen?" The crowd cheer wildly; wow you can really get them to cheer at anything.

"Thank you! You can thank my stylist for that! And you don't look bad yourself Carlton, we're matching!" I say giggling, flirtingly stroking my hand down his arm, and then pointing out the gold on my dress.

"I guess we are!" He says, blushing at my flirting, I giggle again, and wink at the audience.

We have three minutes for our interviews, so I spend the first minute just chatting to the Carlton, flirting with him and the audience, laughing at his not so funny jokes and talking about how I love the Capitol; it's so easy to lie. The topic of conversation that I didn't want to come up, he brings up next. Bluebelle did warn me, that he could ask personal questions about your family and back home.

"What's your home like Mercy?" he says, leaning forward eagerly.

"Well... I have a loving Mother and Father who I also love dearly and I have a nice life I guess"

"Any siblings?"

I am silent for a second, thinking about how I should put this, I can't just say 'one of your evil soldiers in the rebellion killed him' but I guess I could make a few cry with a sob story, they are rather dramatic after all.

"I did..." I say looking down, tears springing into my eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry" he says looking at the audience with a look of pity, some are even crying now, how easy was that! I am truly sad though, I don't like talking about Griffin, but I could of stopped myself from crying or not of said it at all; I just chose to ...express my feelings; clever I know.

"I just miss him so much, my brother, he meant the world to me" Carlton offers me a tissue, and I dab my eyes. I didn't mention Griffin's name, I found that was disrespectful to him, and my parents.

I laugh at my crying and carry on, "But, it doesn't mean I'm weak, I'm a fighter and I will win, I promise you!"

"With your training score, I'm sure you will give a good fight!" The buzzer sounds, and he holds his hands up as I leave. I strut off the stage, winking at the audience and blowing a kiss at Carlton before I walk off the stage, he laughs and the audience do too, some calling out my name wanting me to blow a kiss at them as well.

_Oh how they love me._

_Loki Braveheart (18), District 1 Male-POV_

Mercy is on the stage, flirting with the crowd as she leaves. What a surprise. She was crying a moment ago, about Griffin, but I think that was just a tac tic. She walks confidently off the stage, and brushes past me.

"Good luck!" she calls back. I'm not sure whether she is being serious, you can never know with Mercy. I stand on the edge of the stage, quickly smoothing down my blue shirt which matches my eyes and un tucking the odd parts out of my black trousers. By the time I am ready, Carlton is calling my name.

"District 1's, Loki Braveheart, let's give him a cheer!" I walk out onto the stage, smiling at the audience. A few girls scream my name, and I tense my muscles just to make them scream more. I wink at another few girls, and blow a kiss, at one who looked very... wealthy.

Wow, the girls really do love you don't they" Carlton says.

"Well, who wouldn't?" I wink at the audience again, and they all cheer, well mostly the woman do.

"So Loki, you got a 9 in training, were you happy?"

"Of course! It was a great score!"

"Yes it was... So, how are you finding your stay in the Capitol?"

I don't know what to say, I hate the Capitol, they're terrible people and I am glad I fought in the rebellion against them, but I can't tell them that.

I run my hand through my hair, grit my teeth and begin,"Oh its great here, I've loved my stay" I smile slightly, but I can't bring myself to look happier.

We carry on talking, about the games and if I have any skills. I don't give too much away; the other tributes are watching too. I act cocky, like I was advised to be, and I flash my muscles every so often, which the woman loved.

"Final question Loki, do you think you can win?"

I smirk, "What do you think?" The buzzer goes off, and I walk off the stage waving to the audience.

"Loki I love you!" One woman shouts.

I laugh, _there's one sponsor._

_Micah Flay (18), District 2 Female-POV_

"Ah I'm so excited!" I say, jumping around. I wait on the edge of the stage while Loki finishes his interview. He is really winning the crowd over. Araluen stands behind me and he looks quite nervous.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Erm... Kind of." He smiles slightly and I feel bad for him. He obviously isn't used to all this. I've always been good at public speaking; it just comes naturally to me. "You look nice by the way" I thank him and turn back around.

I admit I do look nice. My stylist has made a beautiful dress. It's a long sky blue dress, which flows down and into a train behind me. It looks strapless, but it has straps which wrap down my arms and at the end have material which flows out and I also wear white sparkly flats which you can't really see because of my dress. She has left my hair down, I have tan colour make up, which blends onto my lips which gives them a shine, and my eyes have light blue eye shadow on them, with dark blue eyeliner which goes off to the side of my eyes in spirals and swirls. I have nothing on my eyelashes as they are naturally long and my nails are painted dark blue.

"Our next tribute is Micah Flay!" I look up to see Carlton beckoning me on the stage. I walk on, smiling to the crowd and waving and blowing kisses.

"Welcome Miss Flay!" he says, kissing me on the hand showing me to my seat.

"Thank you!" I say grinning sweetly.

"So, let's get started, how do you like the Capitol?"

"Oh wow, I love it! I just want to live here, when I win I am definitely going to try and live here" I laugh and so does the crowd and Carlton.

"Confidence, I like it" he says laughing still.

"You also got a 9 in training, what do you think about that?"

"I think that's great, after all my training was rather... surprising" I giggle, and look at the gamemakers who are also looking at each other laughing. I remember their confused faces and it makes me laugh even more.

"Oh please tell us what you did!" he says, the crowd all agree.

"Now Carlton, you know I can't do that!" I look at the crowd covering my mouth shocked in a slight flirtatious way and they all laugh.

"Please, just me?" he says grinning, obviously knowing that I wouldn't be telling just him, I would be telling the whole of Panem as well.

I just laugh, "My lips are sealed" I say pressing them together, pretending to zip them up.

"Ok, ok, next question, do you have any family rooting for you back home?" I act like I am thinking, twirling my hair around my finger, but I don't know what to say. Do I? Obviously they are, but part of my family aren't and definitely not Janice.

"Well... yes I have my sisters, Amber, Anna and Shanell, my brother Tim, and my Father. " I smile at one of the cameras.

"No Mother?" he says.

"Oh yes! Hi Janice, love you lots and lots, say hi to the boys and little baby Josaphina!" I say sarcastically, blowing fake kisses into the cameras and smirking. I lean back in my chair and laugh, imagining her annoyed expression.

"I'm guessing you don't like her very much?" he says laughing with the crowd.

"You could say that..." I say laughing too. The buzzer sounds and I walk off the stage waving and blowing kisses, still laughing at what Janice's face would look like.

_Araluen Osman (18), District 2 Male-POV_

"Breathe...breathe" I whisper to myself. I have about half a minute until my interview begins, and I'm slightly nervous. I'm not nervous about the millions of people watching me; I'm worried that people won't like me. I need them to, to get sponsors.

I don't need to worry about looking good though, my stylist covered that. I wear a stylish white tuxedo, black shoes and a red rose tucked in the jacket pocket. I think they were going for the charming look. My black hair is also now swept slightly to the side, so you can see my brown eyes. Micah walks off the stage, blowing kisses to the crowd, and as she walks past me she smiles reassuringly.

"Next up, is District 2's male tribute Araluen Osman!"

I walk onto the stage, and I am deafened by the loud screams. Wow, I knew they were loud, but when you are actually on the stage they are worse. I stroll across the stage, waving to the crowd and smiling at some particularly nice looking women, who also look very rich. Rich enough to sponsor tributes anyway.

"Nice to meet you" Carlton says, shaking my hand. I shake it back, returning a smile.

"It's great to be here, you're all so... loud!" I say laughing, the crowd all laugh too and I take a seat.

"I know, try sitting here for all the interviews!" he says chuckling. "Ok, first question, how are you finding the Capitol so far?"

"Oh it's amazing!" I exclaim.

"What's your favourite part?"

"Hm, I think the people, especially the lovely ladies" I wink at the audience, and a few squeal and shout my name.

"Oh, I think they love you too, isn't that right?" There are loud screams and cheers and I laugh. I can tell Carlton wants to help us as much as possible in the interviews, to make us look better and feel better.

"Well, thank you very much"

Carlton and I talk about the games, and my home life. I tell him about Micah and Mandu and how I miss them so much, but I will try to get home for them. We joke around about the fashion, and I say how I could easily pull of what he is wearing tonight which makes him laugh.

"Last question Araluen; do you think you can win?"

I sit thinking, can I? "You'll have to wait and see, but I think I will be hard to beat!"

The buzzer sounds and I begin to leave. I see a woman who is waving her hands screaming at me. She looks pretty rich, so I take the rose out of my pocket, and throw it into the crowd at her. She catches it and squeals, but is soon drowned by other crazy girls trying to get it too.

I just laugh and walk off the stage, hoping they will love me enough to sponsor me.

_Kadence Smith (14), District 3 Female-POV_

I can't do this. I can't do this.

"Next up, is Kadence Smith from District 3!"

I feel a slight push on my back and I slowly walk forwards. The bright lights hit my eyes, and the screams of the crowd hurt my ears. I move over to the two seats set up on the stage opposite each other, and Carlton shakes my hand and I sit down.

"Welcome, welcome, you look lovely by the way!" I blush slightly, I don't really like dresses, but this one is very nice.

It's a strapless dress that is light blue at the top, and gradually blends into dark blue when it reaches the floor. It sparkles when the light hits it, kind of looking like stars in a sky. My dark brown hair is swept to the side, and my make-up is fairly natural, but I have slight blue sparkles on my eyes.

"Thank you, you erm, look nice to?" I say, not really knowing how to answer.

He laughs, "Thank you! Are you nervous by any chance?"

"Just a bit!" I say, laughing slightly.

"Don't be, you'll be fine. Let's start with your training score, it was quite good for a little girl like you!" he says grinning.

"For one, I'm not a little girl" I say, staring at him with an annoyed expression, "Second, I was quite pleased with the score I guess" I smile after this though, I don't want to look too annoyed.

"I'm sorry don't hurt me" he says jokingly, holding his hands up for protection.

"I giggle, "Don't worry I won't hurt you... yet" We both laugh at this and the audience joins in too.

We talk for a while, about my family, I mention how shocked my sister and Mother would be at me wearing a dress.

"Hi Mum, Hi Katie, look at my dress!" I say acting shocked, everyone finds this funny and laugh at my behaviour.

"Before the buzzer goes off I'll ask, do you think you can win Kadence?"

"Sure, I'll give it my best try, but if I do, you better watch out Carlton" The buzzer goes off as everyone is in fits of laughter at Carlton acting scared of me, as I pretend to intimidate him. I walk off the stage grinning.

I don't know what I was worrying about.

_Lin Jacobs (12), District 3 Male-POV_

"Lin Jacobs, District 3 Male!" Carlton Flickerman announces my name, and I am pushed onto the stage. I stumble on, quickly regaining my balance just as I appear from the curtain. I look out at the great number of people watching me, and feel my heart rate speed up. How am I going to do this?

My stylist has given me a rather, unusual choice of colour for my outfit. I wear a black suit, with a bright yellow under shirt, yes, bright yellow and matching shoes. Must be this months 'in' colour as a lot of the audience also wears yellow.

"Hello Lin, take a seat" Carlton says grinning, his pearly white teeth sparkling.

"Erm... thanks" I sit, looking down awkwardly.

"How are you feeling tonight?"

"Um...um..."

"Nervous?"

"Yep!" I cover my face embarrassed and the crowd all 'aw'.

I don't want to be shy, I just naturally am. My escort said to play on it, make them feel sorry for this cute little kid; I guess it is already working.

"What's your favourite thing about the Capitol?" Carlton says smiling brightly.

"Erm... I love the technology here!" I say grinning.

"Ooh we have an intelligent one here Ladies and Gentlemen, am I right?"

If you compared me to my family, I am hardly smart; but why let the Capitol know that?

"I guess so... my whole family basically works in the power plant back home, so I learn a few things" Everyone nods, they must think I am very smart being from District 3, I'll let them believe that. I mean, I am definitely not stupid, I just seem it compared to others. But I am younger, so I do..._would_, have had time to learn in the future.

I tell them about my family, and what they do at the power plant, implying that I know all of this too.

"Do you miss your family?" Carlton asks.

"Of course, I miss them more than I thought I would" I let a tear run down my cheek and again the audience all 'aw'. "Sorry, I don't want to be upset" I dab at my cheek with a tissue Carlton gives me and smile slightly showing I feel better.

Sooner than I thought it would, the buzzer goes off and I begin to leave the stage.

"He is so sweet!" A girl says in the crowd.

"Thanks!" I say laughing, waving kindly to the audience.

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

"Ready Aria?" Poe asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine" I say, more reassuring myself than just stating a point.

I run my hand through my silk dress. It is a long green dress which catches the light. I also wear matching green eye shadow and black eyeliner and my brown hair is pinned up, with some curls left down to frame my face.

"Welcome to the stage, District 4's Aria Oreota!"

I lift my dress slightly, not wanting to trip over it, and walk on to the stage. My stylist was right, and when I step on the stage, the dress shimmers from the light. Everyone 'ooh's' and I feel myself blush from all the attention. I have to admit, I am quite a shy person most of the time, but my escort has made my interview angle 'mysterious and beautiful'. It kind of fits me, seeing as mysterious people don't talk very much.

"Take a seat Aria, you look very beautiful by the way" Carlton says kindly.

"Thank you"

"I think we should start with that amazing training score!" he says, the crowd all cheer in excitement.

"I know, I'm very pleased with it, especially seeing as I got the highest!" I beam and the crowd all cheer again.

"A ten is very impressive! You must of done something extra special" He raises an eyebrow, as if he wants me to tell him what I did.

"Now you know I can't tell you, you're going to have to wait till the games!"

"Fine, fine, so you volunteered for the games, was there a specific reason?"

I don't really know what to say, was I allowed to train for the games? "I just thought it would be exciting!" I smile at the crowd and they all shout in agreement.

We carry on talking about home; I try to avoid talking about my parents seeing as they weren't in the best situation before I left. We then talk about skills; I stay quiet for a lot of it though, not wanting to give anything away.

"Do you think you can win?" Carlton says as his last question.

"Of course, I think my training score shows that..."

_Poseidon Hensworth (16), District 4 Male-POV_

"Poseidon Hensworth, District 4's male tribute!"

I stroll onto the stage, casually looking to the side at the audience who are screaming my name. I'm wearing a sea blue tux, with a blue bow tie which looks pretty good I guess. I shake Carlton's hand, and sit down in my chair leaning back relaxingly.

"Welcome Poseidon" he says, copying how I sit.

"Call me Poe" I reply.

"Ok Poe, how are you finding your stay in the Capitol?"

"It's alright, I've loved using the range of weapons here, there's such a vast amount" I never really used weapons much at home, but they don't know that.

"I know I obviously use weapons all the time" Carlton says jokingly and the crowd laugh at his joke.

"I think you could be good in a fight Carlton..." I say laughing.

"If you and I fought, who would win?"

"Hmm... that's a hard one" we all start laughing and Carlton continues with the interview.

We begin to talk about home and then he brings up the reaping.

"So, you volunteered at the reaping, for your brother if I am correct, why was that?"

I sit for a second, and the silence in the room feels strange. "My brother, he has a condition type thing, where he struggles to walk most of the time, I knew if he was sent into the games, he would have no chance" I look down in sadness, and everyone 'awe's' in pity.

"But I will win for him and the rest of my family, I will tell you that!" I look up at Carlton and the audience, determination in my eyes.

The buzzer sounds off, and I walk off the stage, believing in my last words.

* * *

There is part one! These chapters are taking me longer than usual, but only two days at least, three days tops. I want to do everyone's point of view, but it won't take me too long. The actual games will probably be starting next week so yay! Hope your enjoying the story and keep reviewing!

Thanks, _-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories:)_


	27. Interviews: Part Two

_Flair Rhodes (15), District 5 Female-POV_

"Are you excited Jackal?" I ask my district partner rather excited myself.

"I wouldn't say I'm excited, I'm just trying to stay chilled," he looks ahead, and he is wearing these ridiculous sun glasses which I think he thinks makes him look 'cool'.

I decide to give up on trying to talk to Jackal. I'm just trying to be nice and make a good situation of this, and he constantly throws it back in my face. I turn away from him, and look out onto the stage. Poseidon has nearly finished his interview so I will be on very soon. I run my hands over my dress, I love my outfit so much, and my stylist did a great job.

It's a navy blue, strapless dress which is very short at the front and becomes longer at the back. The skirt is ruffled and there are diamonds incrusted on bodice of the dress. I have been given a diamond necklace to wear which looks like it cost more than my house, and my hair is clipped to the side and curled.

"Next up, is Flair Rhodes District 5's female tribute!"Carlton announces, and the crowd all cheer as I walk onto the stage.

"Take a seat Flair" he says, gesturing to a comfy seat opposite his.

I sit down on the chair and stare out into the crowd amazed at all the bright lights and noise.

"Wow... this is amazing..." I say in awe, everyone laughs and I suddenly realised I said it out loud. "Oops sorry I didn't mean to say that out loud, but it is!" everyone is in fits of giggles, I didn't think I was that funny but they must of thought I was.

"Your stylist did a great job with your outfit... didn't they?" The audience all nod and shout in agreement.

"Thanks! I kind of look like one of you now!" The crowd are all laughing again, and I giggle. "In a good way I mean..."

"Oh Flair you are funny"

"Am I?" Everyone is in fits by now, and I laugh myself. I realise I could be coming off as rather ditsy but they find me funny so I am alright for my interview angle.

We talk about things like my training score, and he also asks me what I like to do back at home, which I answer with singing, and he asks me to sing for the audience. At first I felt so embarrassed, but I only sung a couple of lines because of the time limit and when I was done I got a great applause.

"Last question; is there anyone at home you will be trying to win for?"

I don't even have to think about this, "I have a big family, I live with my Aunt and Uncle and all my cousins and I want to get home for them too, but I am determined to get home to my older sister Brynn; I'm the only proper family she has and vice versa, so I need to get home for her."

The buzzer sounds and as I walk off the stage I look into a camera filming me. I blow a kiss into the camera, purposely with the wrist that is wearing my charm bracelet token, so Brynn will know I am signing to her seeing as she made it with Ember.

After I blow the kiss, I mouth 'I love you' and leave the stage. She'llknow what I am trying to say_, I love you, and I'll be home soon Brynn._

_Jackal West (14), District 5 Male-POV_

I wait for Flair's interview to end, and I must say I am finding it rather boring, as I have the previous ones. Mine will obviously be more interesting, so I don't need to worry about impressing the crowd. Flair soon walks off the stage and my name is called.

"Jackal West, District 5's male tribute!"

I walk on casually, and when I reach Carlton, I shake his hand and sit down. I take my black sunglasses you can see my face properly, and I smirk at the crowd. I am also wearing a black suit which goes nicely with the glasses; so overall I look pretty good.

"Hi Jackal, how are you finding your stay in the Capitol?" Carlton grins at me, and I just stare bluntly at him.

"It's been good..."

"Ok... let's go onto your training score, you got a 2, were you disappointed?"

"Well, yes, I thought I did much better than the score I got, but it doesn't matter you will see my real potential when I am in the games"

The crowd stay silent, but there are a few cheers, obviously my fans. I'm not surprised I have fans, how could you not love me.

"Well... confidence is good, erm, what's life like back at home?"

"Normal... nothing exciting really happens; except for the reaping obviously"

"Yes I guess that does make things more exciting... any family?"

"I live with my Mother and younger sister Cloha, my Father was... killed" I look down sadly.

"That's a shame" Carlton says, looking rather awkwardly, probably realising he was killed in the rebellion.

I take a deep breath and carry on, "I'm ok though, I will be fighting for him, and my Mother and Cloha, and I will win."

The buzzer sounds and the crowd cheers and claps as I walk off the stage. I mean it, I will win.

_Tess hardy (14), District 6 Female-POV_

I'm next... After that cocky boy from 5 finishes, I have to go up in front of the millions of people watching and get interviewed. Me, the quiet girl who rarely talks and in school always has her nose in a book and never contributing to the class.

"Our next tribute is District 6's Tess Hardy!"

I walk onto the stage, and I am blinded by the bright lights. I look away, trying to look ahead of me at Carlton so I don't get distracted and do something stupid like trip over in front of the nation. I reach Carlton and he shakes my hand politely and gestures to the chairs for me to sit down. I take a seat, and stare out into the crowd, amazed at how far back it stretches.

"Welcome Tess, you look lovely this evening" Carlton says kindly.

"Oh thank you, I feel like a princess..." I say giggling, the crowd all chuckle and I blush...I really do though, like the princess in the story I read before I was sent to the Capitol.

I am wearing a long green dress which is like a ball gown, and has a layered skirt that falls to the floor. The top part of the dress is lined at the bottom with sparkly diamonds which shine. My red hair is straightened and the green dress brings out my eyes.

"You look like one! Now tell me Tess, what is your favourite thing about the Capitol?"

"Oh the library!" I laugh at my answer, mostly how strange it sounds. Everything the Capitol offers and I love the library.

"Really?" Carlton says chuckling.

"Yes! I was rather limited to what I could read back at home because I only had a few books, but here you have thousands!" Everyone is laughing at my innocent behaviour and I feel myself blushing again.

"Well at least the books are being used by someone!" everyone laughs at this and I find myself giggling too.

"Now I know this next question could be a touchy subject, but I would like to ask you about the reaping" He looks at me, and I look down awkwardly. I don't want to get upset about the whole situation, so I will try to stay strong; I don't want to look weak.

He wants me to talk about Tia, and how she was rather distraught and so was I when I think about it.

"Erm... well the girl in the crowd that was upset and trying to volunteer for me, even though she is too old, was my sister Tia. We two are the complete opposite, she is popular and pretty and I tend to keep myself to myself. When I saw her at the reaping... I think my heart actually broke. I never realised my sister cared for me so much that she would try to give up her own life for me; and I love her so much for it," the crowd is deadly silent and I look up at the crowd and they all let out a great cheer. I'm not sure what for but I accept it.

I look into the camera next and say, "I'll try and get home for you Tia." Some of the crowd are crying at this point at my heartfelt words and as the buzzer sounds and I exit the stage, I let a tear roll down my cheek, now able to show my weakness.

_Kyran Flint (17), District 6 Male-POV_

I look down the long line of tributes, and a bit down the line I see Reina standing nervously. She looks up at me, her pale blue eyes looking big and worried. I smile at her, and she half smiles back.

"Next up is Kyran Flint from District 6!" Carlton calls. I am led up to the stage and Reina mouths 'good luck' to me as I am walking on. The crowd is noisy, some cheering and clapping, others laughing as they remember me as 'the car boy' and others even acting like how I did in the chariots. I must have made a good impression because they all seem to like me.

"Hello Kyran take a seat,' Carlton says shaking my hand. I sit down on the lush seat, and look out at the crowd, _time to turn the funny on._

"It's great to be here Carlton, and can I just say you look lovely this evening,' I say, mimicking what Carlton has been saying to most of the female tributes, "Very... shiny..." The crowd are laughing and Carlton pulls a face at me but begins to chuckle himself.

"Ok first question, what is your favourite thing about the Capitol?"

"The food... definitely the food" I rub my stomach and lick my lips and everyone laughs again.

"Oh well it is nice, let's talk about training next, you got a 5?"

"Yes, I was quite pleased,"

"Did you think you should have got higher?"

"I'll tell you something..." I lean towards Carlton as if I am telling him a secret, "I believe, the gamemakers gave me a lower score because they are jealous of my skills... and muscles" I tense my arms which barely hold any muscles whatsoever, but the crowd love my joking and even the gamemakers are smirking and laughing.

"I think you could be right, look at their jealous faces" Carlton gestures to the gamemakers and some are still laughing, they all notice the cameras are on them and wave their hands saying to turn the cameras away.

"Any family rooting for you at home Kyran?"

I lean back in my chair and squint my eyes at Carlton, "Yes... any rooting for you Carlton?"

He laughs but carries on, "Now seriously, tell us about your family"

I really don't want to do this, but I have to say something I can't just stay quiet for the rest of the interview. "My family is rather normal; I have a Mother and a Father, 3 younger siblings, Axel, Hedley and Natalia and an older sister Adela."

"Oh yes I remember now, you volunteered for your brother!"

"Yes, Hedley, he is like a younger version of me, always joking around, and when I saw him up on that stage, my heart sunk, he was no longer my happy brother, but a scared twelve year old who didn't stand a chance."

"I see..."

"And, I will stay strong for them; they need me as much as I need them..."

The buzzer sounds, and I begin to walk off the stage. The crowd go wild, and I wave to them and keep smiling. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to be funny.

_Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen (12), District 7 Female-POV_

I look out onto the vast crowd that is the Capitol. The bright lights and scenery are quite overwhelming, especially because of the situation I am in. Kyran from District 6 is on the stage at the moment, probably telling another one of his jokes. They are quite funny, and he seems to have the audience in the palm of his hand.

I do find it hard to believe, how this place filled with horrible people can be so wonderful. Today has been rather great, especially when I was dressed into my interview outfit. I wear a little green dress, which is the same colour as the evergreen trees which surrounded the forest back at home. Woven into the dress, are golden birds taking off into flight. Like normal, my make-up is kept fairly plain, but just enough to make my eyes look bright. My hair is braided to the side in a complicated French braid, keeping my fringe out of my eyes, and I am very grateful, that I am dressed in golden flat shoes, instead of ridiculous heels which my escort wears.

"Let's welcome to the stage the next tribute, Iliad Quarmen from District 7!"

I look up to see the previous interview has finished and it is in fact my turn. I walk out onto the stage a slight skip in my step, and I grin at the crowd as I wave kindly. The crowd cheers and I get a surge of energy from them.

"Hello Iliad take a seat," Carlton says pointing to the chair next to his.

"Thank you; and call me Lili."

"Ok Lili, I'll start with my first question being, what did you think of your training score? It was great for a twelve year old!"

"I know, I guess no one saw that coming… except me obviously."

"Oh, so you expected to get a good score then?"

"I know my abilities, and I felt I did a good job." I smile confidently and the crowd all cheer.

"It's good to have confidents, so… what do you like to do back at your district?"

I make sure not to mention that I sneak outside my district, I doubt that will go down well. "I love to run… I run as far as I can see it's just so calming."

We talk about home, and other things like what I like about the Capitol, and then he reaches his final question.

"Do you think you can win Lili?" Carlton leans forward looking at me with his altered gold eyes.

"I think, I'm not what you expect to be a great fighter, or the strongest, but I have my strong points, so don't count me out from the chance of winning!"

The buzzer sounds and I skip back off the stage waving and blowing kisses to the crowd that is excited about the revealing of an underdog.

_Itzel Minx (14), District 7 Male-POV_

Ergh, the Capitol. My hatred for it and its people becomes more and more by the day. They killed most of my family and left my Mother in a state of confusion and depression. They cause so much trouble for us all, and yet they get away with it.

"Next is Itzel Minx, District 7's male tribute!" Carlton Flickerman, that annoying show of a man, calls my name. I storm onto the stage, staring straight ahead, not even glancing at the cheering crowd. I fall into my chair, my arms crossed over my chest and I look bluntly at Carlton.

"Thanks for joining us, and you look very smart… not as good as me but still," The crowd all laugh at this but I just grunt slightly. I do not look very smart; I hate this monkey suit that my stylist has dressed me in.

I wear a white overcoat and trousers with a green shirt, brown tie and dark brown shoes. I think they were going for forest colours with the browns and greens, but I just feel uncomfortable and stupid.

"Erm, ok lets start" Carlton says awkwardly, "You also got a seven like your district partner, were you pleased?"

"I guess."

"Oh… um… have you liked staying in the Capitol?"

"No."

He looks almost shocked by this comment and so does the audience, "And why is that?"

"I don't like the place, or the people." I stare angrily at him and he actually looks quite scared.

"Ok…" there is an awkward silence for a while, and then he finally asks me another question.

"Do you think you can win the games?"

"I don't know, you will soon find out… but I'm sure you'll all love watching me die if I do… that's the point of the games right?"

The buzzer sounds, which I think they did earlier than they were supposed to but they obviously didn't like my comments, and it breaks the deadly silence. I storm back off the stage angrily, but I am glad I told them the truth. They need to know that they are all killers in some way.

_Jazzy Kaede (14), District 8 Female-POV_

My head is pressed against Chase's chest, our hands intertwined with the others. He takes one hand and runs it through my loose black hair soothingly, while his other hand still grips mine tightly.

"You'll be fine out there, they'll love you"

"I hope so…"

He leans forward and whispers in my ear, "I don't believe you truly got a 2, I know you two well." I look up and smirk at him. He laughs slightly and releases my other hand as he turns me round to face the stairs to the stage. He leans forward, whispering in my ears again.

"I knew it… now go make me proud with your fake weakness… and you look beautiful by the way." I laugh at his first comment and then blush at his last one.

I'm wearing a black one strap dress which reaches my mid thigh, and my raven black hair is down and flows onto my back. I do feel very pretty, but I wouldn't say I looked beautiful.

"The next tribute to be interviewed is Jazzy Kaede from District 8!"

I take in a deep breath and walk onto the stage. I smile nervously at the crowd, not wanting to seem too confident, and I wave slightly too a few people.

"Hi Jazzy, take a seat" Carlton says shaking my hand. I perch myself on the edge of the plush sofa and stare out into the crowd.

"Wow… this is so cool!" the crowd all laughs at my amazement and I giggle. I have quite a cute personality anyway, but I have to add to it… it makes me seem less of a fighter and more of a sweet little girl.

"It is pretty 'cool', so Jazzy, do you like the Capitol?"

"It's very nice… it's just so… big!"

"Well, I'm sure it is for a small girl like you! What is your favourite thing?"

"I love how it looks with all the bright lights!" Everyone aw's at my excitement and I laugh to myself in my head at how believable I am being.

"Now… sadly you only got a 2 in training, do you want to say anything about that?"

I look up and force tears to spring into my eyes, "I just, don't know what I did wrong" I say in a sad voice, wiping at my eyes. You can see the crowd are feeling rather sorry for me because of it.

"Ok I'll move swiftly onto the next question, you volunteered for your sister if I am right, would you explain?"

"She is my younger sister Joni, when she was reaped I knew I needed to save her, so I did what I had to do" The crowd all act like this is so sweet, but they probably find it a shame as they think I am as weak as my little sister. I make more tears fall down my cheeks, "I …just... needed to protect her." I hold my head in my hands, letting the audience hear my fake sobs. The buzzer sounds and I get up from my chair walking off the stage wiping my eyes and trying to smile at the crowd. I reach the end and run down the steps of the stage into Chase's arms. He encloses me in them, pressing his face in my hair.

"You did great…" he whispers.

_Chase Sedesky (15), District 8 Male-POV_

"The next tribute is Chase Sedesky, District 8's male!"

I release Jazzy from my tight embrace and she whispers good luck to me. We've been getting much closer lately, and it feels nice to have someone to talk to who understands what you are going through. I walk onto the stage and smile straight away at the crowd. They all cheer welcomingly and I wink at some of the woman to get them on my side. I sit down on the sofa and Carlton sits opposite me.

"Welcome Chase!"

"Thanks, you guys are a great crowd!" I get a good cheer for that and I smile at the response.

"So Chase, has the Capitol treated you well?"

"Yes very!"_ Besides the sending me to my death part._

"Great! Now you got a five in training, what did you think?"

"I was pleased, obviously I would of loved higher but five is good for me!" I grin at the crowd and they all cheer at my positive attitude.

We joke around for a bit about training and the Capitol and then he asks me the awkward question I didn't want.

"A question we all want to know the answer to… you volunteered at the reaping, but it didn't look like you knew the kid you volunteered for, care to explain?"

I really don't know how to answer this, I can't just say, 'My aunt abuses me, I am a scared weakling and I wanted to get away from her, so I took the first chance I had… but it was slightly a mistake' Yeah that makes sense.

"Erm… my life wasn't the best; I was not in a very good situation at home so I volunteered." I make sure I stare into the camera, so if my aunt is watching she'll realise how evil she was.

Quicker than I thought, the buzzer sounds and I am leaving the stage. The crowd cheer and I wave goodbye to them, but before I leave I make sure I give another stare into the camera.

She needs to know how terrible she really is; she put me in this situation after all.

* * *

Hope you liked this chapter!

Firstly: sorry for not updating for like a week... my laptop broke earlier last week so I couldn't finish this chapter which I was halfway through writing.

Secondly: I have found a replacement laptop which I a can use for a few weeks, so I will be able to update more regurlarly(I want to get to the games as much as you all probably do!)

But anyway, thanks for sticking with this story even though I haven't updated, and again I am really, really, really sorry for not updating quicker.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, and keep reviewing too!_ -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories:)_


	28. Interviews: Part Three

Reina Luckmere (17), District 9 Female-POV

"Kyran I don't feel so good…" I look up at Kyran, and he stares back down at me.

"It'll be fine, don't worry about it," He wraps me in his arms, and I let myself relax, I soon become tense again though when I hear the next few words.

"The next tribute on the stage is Reina Luckmere from District 9!"

"Now go, show them how amazing you are…" Kyran moves his arms away and guides me to the edge of the stage. He doesn't understand how nervous I am. Yeah, he has dealt with the interviews already, but I am not exactly the most sociable person. You can blame my uncle for that.

"Wish me luck…"

I walk onto the stage, and nearly trip before I even reach the end of the curtain. Stupid heels. My stylist has dressed me in a beautiful blue dress which flows to my knees and it matches my eyes, but they have put me in silver 5inch heels which I have only just mastered how to walk in. I quickly gain my composure and walk confidently onto the stage, trying to act anything but myself. The real Reina would never be this confident. The crowd all clap and cheer and I smile and wave at some of the crowd. I take a seat in one of the chairs and let out a sigh of relief that I don't have to stand in those heels for a few minutes.

"How are you feeling Reina," Carlton says smiling.

"My feet hurt," I say laughing, the crowd all laugh too and they all look at my heels.

"I can see why," Carlton says chuckling. "So, have you liked the Capitol?"

"Not that I have anything against it, but its too… artificial for me, the bright lights and scenery is lovely don't get me wrong, but I prefer nature and the outdoors… I guess that's just because of my District…"

"I know what you mean, it's not for everyone, but I love it!" Carlton says laughing and the crowd join. "Next question, what would you say was a strong point of yours?"

"I think… I might not be the strongest compared to others here, but I am smart I will admit that…"

"Well you need brains not just brawn." I nod in agreement and the audience all nod too.

"How was life back in District 9 Reina?"

I sit for a bit… I want to prove him wrong… my disgusting uncle… show him that I am not a weak kid which is going to die; I can do this.

"My parents died when I was seven, so I live with my Uncle Spur…" I look down, feeling shivers run through me just thinking about him. _Don't let yourself be like this, prove him wrong._ The audience all stare at me and I take a deep breath and stare into the camera.

"Spur if you're watching this, which I slightly doubt seeing as you're probably so intoxicated by alcohol you can hardly walk…" The audience all start laughing and I smirk slightly. "I just want you to know, I will win this and prove you wrong, I _am _worth something… and I am smarter than you think… so I hope you're happy with yourself for how you treated me… everything you did has just made me stronger…"

The buzzer sounds, and I walk strongly off the stage, the audience cheering, clapping and one throws a flower which I pick up gratefully, seeing as I love them. They are all shocked at my outburst to my uncle and so am I slightly. But I am glad he knows the effect he had on me and that he is the weak one now. Not me.

_Caleb York (13), District 9 Male-POV_

I feel like hiding. Somewhere dark and peaceful, where no-one can see me and where I won't have to answer any questions. My mind is spinning at the moment, whirling like a tornado full of worries and fears. I stand straight looking ahead my hands locked at my side. I wear a smart black polo shirt and black trousers which help me blend in with the darkness… but I won't blend in when I am forced onto the stage fll of bright lights and loud noises.

"Up next is Caleb York, District 9's male tribute!"

I stand frozen in fear on the spot. I turn around to take off running, but my escort stops me before I can and pushes me onto the stage. I stumble on, and stare out at the millions of people all looking at me and cheering. I don't know why they are cheering I haven't exactly done anything.

"Hello Caleb take a seat," Carlton says smiling, he looks at me with his golden eyes and something about them scares me.

I sit on the edge of the chair, not able to relax.

"First question, do you like the capitol?"

"Erm… um… yes?" I look at the crowd for approval and they all laugh slightly at my 'question'.

"Well it's either a yes or a no, but I'll take that as a yes!" Carlton says winking at me, I realise he is trying to help me through the interview, he obviously realised how nervous I am. "Now you got a one in training, were you disappointed?"

I look up at him, and around at the crowd as they stare at me with their piercing eyes. "I expected it to be honest," I look down sadly and a few people 'aw'.

"That's a shame, and what's life like at home?"

Again I look down, but more in panic this time. How do I tell them I have been hiding for three years? I don't think I can tell them, what if it's against the law? What if I am killed before the games have even started? I look around in panic back and forth, back and forth and before I even realise what I am doing I take off for the side of the stage. I run down the steps and down a long corridor trying to get as far away from everyone and I can hear everyone in the crowd murmuring at my sudden departure before the buzzer even sounded. I really hope I never have to do that again.

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

Peering from behind the curtain, I can see the crowd which stretches back into the distance. I wonder how many people are actually here. Or actually watching the interviews? I think it's the whole of Panem, which doesn't make the situation any easier for me to deal with. I'm not that scared though, I don't mind talking to people so if I just imagine I am talking to Carlton everything will be fine. I am feeling rather confident anyway, not about the actual games but the fact I am ok at talking, and I know how to act. My interview angle is sweet and innocent, which is kind of my personality anyway.

My stylist has given me a beautiful outfit too. It's a dusty pink dress; the front part of the skirt comes to my knees and the back falls down to my mid calf. I also wear some light brown cowboy boots which I was pleased about as they are so comfortable, my hair is left naturally curly and I wear minimal makeup. Around my neck is my token, a silver chain with a horse shoe pendant, and I hope it will bring me luck like its supposed to.

"The next tribute is Savannah King from District 10!"

I hear the sound of Carlton's cheerful voice so I ready myself to walk on.

"Good luck Savannah…" I whip my head round to see the District 1 male Loki, leaning on a wall his arms crossed over his chest and a small smile etched on his face.

He keeps doing things like this, saying odd comments, and I don't know whether he actually means them, or if he is tricking me into thinking we are fine and when I actually get into the games he will target me. It's hard to tell, so I have tried not to think about it too much.

"Thanks," I mumble, as I walk onto the stage.

The crowd all cheer as I walk across, smiling and waving. Carlton smiles, compliments my dress and then takes a seat and I sit opposite him.

"Hello Savannah, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine… there's just so many people!"

"I know, I know, you get used to it after a while though!" He rolls his eyes and I giggle. "So, you got a six in training, that's pretty good for a sweet girl like you!"

"I guess so…I was very pleased to be honest."

"Would you say you have any special skills that you could use in the games?"

"Yes… but I'm not going to say, I don't want to give anything away," I act like I am zipping my lips together and the crowd all chuckle.

We carry on talking about home and I tell them about the ranch and what I do there. I leave out any information about being whipped by the Capitol… I don't think I will get any sponsors from that.

"Last question, do you think you can win this thing?"

"I don't give up easily… and I'm a hard worker… so I wouldn't count me out just yet."

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

"Do I really have to do this?" I moan at my escort while she straightens the collar of my shirt. I am wearing the same outfit I did at the reaping; but in better condition, because my stylist thought it would remind people of my brave volunteering.

"Yes you do… now go stand by the stage you're next," She turns me round and pushes me towards the stage.

I squeeze my hands into fists so they turn red, I really don't want to do this. Who really likes being asked about their life? Their family and home that they will probably never see again. Savannah walks off the stage after a great applause from the audience and I ready myself for my turn.

"The next tribute is Luka Kingston Jeredi the District 10 male tribute!"

I shake my hands and they turn back to the normal pale white they are supposed to be and I walk onto the stage. I smirk at the audience and they all applaud and cheer like they do for every tribute. Carlton reaches out to shake my hand and I return it gripping strongly so his own hands turn red.

"That's quite a handshake there Luka…" he says laughing. "Take a seat."

I sit down on the sofa and lean back crossing my arms over my chest. I stare at Carlton, waiting for my first question.

"So Luka, do you like the Capitol?"

"It's ok… quite interesting…"

"And what do you mean by that…"

"It just is, how different the people our compared to the districts."

"I think that is the most unique response to that question out of all the interviews…" I shrug at this, but secretly I am pleased that I have made a slight impression.

"So you got a seven in training, were you happy with that?"

"I guess…" I am actually pleased, but I'm not giving anything away throughout this interview, my competition is watching after all.

Carlton carries on asking questions, trying to find one where I can't just answer minimally. He goes through training and home but he can't get a lot out of me. He asks about the reaping too, but I don't know how to explain that I thought the tribute was my dead brother. That makes me sound crazy.

"Last question, do you think you can win?"

"Hmm… do I think I can win? You'll just have to wait until the games to find out!"

The buzzer goes off and I can see Carlton look relieved but also slightly annoyed for not getting any answers out of me. I can't let him know everything about me, can I?

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

"Erm… Brock?" I tug on my district partner's shirt trying to get his attention, "What are you looking at?" He stands facing away from me, looking at a blank space murmuring to himself. He sometimes does this, but I've never found out why.

He turns around out of his daze and looks down at me, "Oh… nothing…" he grunts. I turn away from him and walk off towards the edge of the stage. District 10 has nearly finished their interviews and then it will be my turn. I will admit I am nervous… actually I am _very _nervous. I am not exactly the most out going person, neither the loudest nor most talkative. Interviews are definitely not my thing.

I run my hands over the skirt of my dress. It is a long blue dress, and I'm also wearing some silver flats and my hair is straightened. It's the most expensive outfit I have ever worn in my life, and I feel extremely good because of it.

"Give it up, for the next tribute, Ashley Blake from District 11!"

I make my way up the stares and begin to walk across the stage with a slight skip in my step. Everyone cheers and I wave sweetly back to them. I reach Carlton and smile at him and he holds his hand to his heart and looks at the crowd like 'aw this is the cutest girl ever'. I giggle slightly at how he looks but he doesn't notice and then he gestures to the chair for me to take a seat.

"Welcome Ashley, how are you feeling?"

"Nervous!" I splutter.

"Don't be, it'll be fine! I think we should start with that training score of yours; an eight! That's great for a girl of your age!" The crowd all cheer and I blush slightly at all the attention.

"Thank you, I was so happy when I found out…"

"Want to tell us what you did to get that score?" Carlton says leaning in towards me.

"I don't think I can do that…" I say laughing, pushing him away jokingly.

"Fine, fine… but you must be good at some skills or you wouldn't have got that score…"

"Well yes I guess I am, but I'm not revealing anything!"

We carry on talking about the Capitol and other things about the games and then we get to the last questions.

"Do you have any family cheering you on at home Ashley?"

"Yes, I have a rather normal actually… there's my parents, and I have two brothers and two sisters."

"Is there anything you would like to say to them if you could?"

"I think I would say, I love you all so much and I will try and get home to you soon… and," I look into the camera and stare directly down the camera lens showing a small smile, "Hayley, Kale, I know you were worried for me but don't I'll be fine, and don't miss me to much until I get home," I smile to myself, remembering the day of the reaping in the orchard, when I overheard my siblings conversations. "So… I'll see you then…" The buzzer sounds and I hear a few sniffles from the crowd at my message. I walk off the stage waving again at the cheering crowd and I give a quick smile at the camera for my family, so they know I am ok.

_Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV_

I watch as Ashley is being interviewed. She seems fine so there is no need for me to worry; I think she will be ok if she is by herself in the games, especially as she got a higher score than me.

I'm wearing a plain black shirt, black trousers and black shoes; I look so dark and plain compared to everyone else. I don't think this is a good situation, and I hate the idea of being asked questions about myself, personal or not. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Ashley leave the stage, so I make my way over.

"The interviews will soon be over, but now we have Brock Stern, District 11's male tribute!"

I walk onto the stage, staring straight ahead not even acknowledging the crowd.

"Hello Brock take a seat!" Carlton reaches out to shake my hand but I just ignore him and sit down.

"Um… ok how are you feeling? Have you liked the Capitol?" I just stare ahead and don't answer. Carlton smiles at me stupidly and I just look at him with disgust. How can he be so happy when most of us will be dead in a week?

"A bit nervous hey? What about your family, want to tell us about them?"

I look at him and I can almost feel the anger bubble up in side me. If he knew about my family, how they were killed by the people from this disgusting place, I don't think he would of asked that question. I can see Malaya sitting in the crowd, cradling Theo to her chest, but I shake my head because it hurts too much, to see her around these people.

"I did have family." I spit angrily.

"And what do you mean by that?" Carlton says looking confused.

"They were killed. My parents, my girlfriend, my _son_… and do you know who by?" he stares at me so confused but I can't stop now, they need to know what they did. "They were killed by the Capitol… it could have been any of your relatives… ANY OF THEM! Or even you. And now your sending innocent children off to their deaths… what kind of sick creatures are you?" I shout towards the crowd, I have reached the peak of my anger now and I can't bear to look at them anymore. I don't know how much trouble I will be in, if I wasn't already being sent to my death I would be on my way to a severe punishment or even death. I kick my chair in frustration, and it slides across the stage. I storm off the stage where I see a peacekeeper waiting to control me and the audience and Carlton just stare in shock. But is it because of my outburst, or because they have realised what monsters they really are?

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

I can't believe what I am watching. This guy is going to get in so much trouble, he is basically saying that the Capitol are all sick in the head, (which we are all thinking but we don't say it, we're not that stupid). I can't help but think how awkward it's going to be when I have to go on for my interview. Brock storms off the stage and a peacekeeper takes him by his arm and drags him away.

"Well… I think we should just carry on, next is Annalisa Soleil District 12's Female tribute!"

I walk onto the stage, and smile at the cheering crowd, they are obviously happy to have a cheerful tribute now.

"Wow that dress is amazing!" Carlton says.

I am wearing a long flowing green gown with fifteen silk layers, it is encrusted with diamonds, strapless and I wear white pumps with it too.

"Thanks Carlton! You look pretty good yourself…" the audience laugh and Carlton chuckles to himself.

"Annalisa, you got a six in training, that's quite good right?"

"Yeah I guess, for me anyway…" I laugh and flash my winning smile again.

"And what is your favourite thing about the Capitol?"

"Will you judge me if I say the food?" The audience are all in fits of laughter and I just laugh and shrug to them.

"No we won't it is delicious…"

We carry on talking for a while about the Capitol and I keep joking around to get laughs from the crowd.

"What about your family? Who's at home cheering you on?"

"Erm… my Mum and Brother Marcello… my father passed away so…" I look down awkwardly; I won't be mentioning the fact that he was killed going against the Capitol.

"Oh that's a shame… want to say anything to them?"

"Hi guys… I love you and I will try and get home soon… stay strong for me ok?" I smile into the camera and the buzzer sounds for me to leave. I walk off the stage, smiling at all the crowd again; I need them on my side if I want to win this after all.

_Oliver Istas (16), District 12 Male-POV_

"Our last tribute on the stage is Oliver Istas from District 12!"

I stroll onto the stage, running my hand through my dusty blonde hair. I am wearing a black tuxedo, black shoes and my hair is combed back. The crowd cheers and I smile flirtatiously at the crowd, winking at a few girls. I reach the interview chair and sit down.

"Hi Oliver, how are you feeling?"

"I'm great thanks, and yourself?"

"I am very good as well, how did you find training? You got a six?"

"Yes I did! I was very pleased with it, I've loved the training here it's been great being able to use the variety of weapons…" I'm trying to seem the least nervous as possible. Obviously I never really touched a weapon before in my life either, but they don't know that.

"Well its good you've made the most of it, how was life back at home?"

"I have a good life, I live in the richer part of District 12, and I am an only child with loving parents, I've had a pretty good life to be honest."

We talk about home and then about the Capitol, the crowd seem to like me too which I am pleased about.

"My last question is Oliver; do you think you can win?"

"Yes, I'm definitely ready for the Hunger Games," The buzzer sounds and I stroll back off the stage away from the cheering the crowd.

As I leave, I look around at the other 23 tributes. I will be against them in just over a day's time, and that is crazy to think about. I don't know what it will be like in the arena, how everyone will react or cope. But I need to be ready for it, or I won't stand a chance.

* * *

And that is the end of the interviews *yay*... I think I am going to do a chapter on the tributes final night before the games... and then we will be in the actual games! Thank you for staying with the story and all your reviews-they really mean a lot and make me want to write even more:)

Thanks, _-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories_


	29. Night Before The Games

District 1's POV

Mercy Breen

I lay in bed restless. How can I sleep when I need to be prepared for fighting tomorrow? I am ready, don't get me wrong, but I just feel that I need to be preparing instead of lying around not even getting any sleep. Bluebelle did say to get plenty of rest, but I'm not really am I? So what's really the point? I pull my duvet off me and slowly creep towards the door. I open it and walk out into the hallway, trying to shut it quietly behind me. I pad into the kitchen, and make myself some tea, and then I walk into the living area. To my surprise, Loki is sitting on the sofa, also drinking some tea. He seems lost in thought and hasn't even noticed I have arrived in the room.

"Loki?" I whisper. He is knocked out of his train of thought and looks over at me.

"Oh you scared me… can't sleep?" He asks, rubbing his own eyes tiredly.

"You could say that, you?" He nods in reply and I go over and sit on the other side of the sofa.

"Why can't you sleep?" I ask.

"I have… stuff on my mind…"

He goes back into a slight daze, just staring at the turned off television. Its not really like him, he's normally so full of himself, right now he should be saying how amazing he is going to be in the games. Maybe he is slightly worried too?

Loki Braveheart 

I don't know what to think anymore. I can't be distracted like this, but there is always that little note in the back of my find that keeps making me think about it. I'm supposed to be a Career, a fighter, I need to win this! I can't let little distractions take over me. I want to win, and get back for Nari, she needs me, and she's only thirteen after all. I just want to get home overall… but maybe that's not an option anymore. Especially if it means…

"Loki…hello?" Mercy waves her hands in front of my face and I am yet again snapped out my day dream.

"Yes Mercy?"

"I said, I am going to bed now, do you even know what time it is?" She walks off and into her room. I look at the time and see an hour has passed; time seems to be going very quickly while I have been here. I head into my own room, and turn off the lights so I am in complete darkness. I lie under the covers, and squeeze my eyes shut trying to fall asleep quickly. But I can't get that same face out of my mind. That beautiful face that if I want to win, they will have to die. I can't get the name out of my mind and as I finally drift off to sleep, I am left with it engraved there.

Savannah.

District 2's POV

Micah Flay

I am ready. I have never been so ready in all of my life. I haven't been training, constantly and pushed to be the best for nothing… I want to get home to my siblings and Father. I want to prove to my step Mother I am worth something and her children are not the only great ones. I want to see her smug face drop, when she sees me return to the District and go to my house in the Victors Village. I want having to kill people to be worth something, not just for the fun of it. But most of all I want to win this. I need to win this. More for myself than anyone else.

Araluen Osman

I pace back and forth in my room, my mind whirring with different thoughts. In less than a day's time, I will be fighting to the death. This time tomorrow I could either be killing someone, fighting for my life or even in a coffin myself, being sent home to my family. I can't let them see me like that, my little brother and sister would have to see there older brother, the one they loved and cared for, cold and lifeless lying in a coffin. That's a terrible thing for an eight year old to see. I've been so lonely since I have been here, and I would give anything to see them again. I should be thinking of tac-tics, like how I will find my alliance. I am glad I have joint the careers, it will help me greatly. I decide I need my rest, seeing as I probably won't be getting to much in the arena, and I crawl under my covers and close my eyes, wishing I would wake up in my bed back at home.

District 3's POV

Kadence Smith

Walking out of my room, I make my way to the kitchen and open the fridge to see what I can find. I see some leftover ice cream from this evening's desert, and take it in one hand, closing the door with the other. I let out a small scream though, as I see my district partner Lin appear from behind there.

"Lin you scared me!" I say laughing slightly. I don't want to be horrible to him, and I would like someone to talk to on the last night.

"Sorry…" he says looking down, but sniggering to himself too.

"Don't laugh! Here take this…" I say shoving the ice cream in his hands and wandering off to grab two spoons.

We walk into the living area and sit on the sofa, eating the ice cream. I take my time, savouring each mouthful as I probably won't get it in a while. I suddenly hear a small whimper and look at Lin who has a small tear running down his cheek.

"Hey… what's wrong?" I say smiling, wiping the tear from his cheek. He in someway reminds me of my brother Thomas, and I feel a slight sisterly instinct towards him at the moment.

"I'm just… worried you know? Every time I think about the games I feel sick…" I look down at him and he stares up at me with his big brown eyes, and I can't help but feel angry at the fact that he is only twelve, and he also has to fight to the death, and I realise now, how this situation is in some ways worse for other tributes than it is for me.

Lin Jacobs

I look up at Kadence for some sort of advice… anything. I need my mind to be taken off of the games. I don't want to think about it… if I'm up against a stronger tribute, or even an older one, I am a goner. That's the problem with me I guess, I think too logically. Yes that could be a good thing in the games, but now for example, I am constantly contradicting myself on my plan for the games. If I should grab something or just run as far as possible away from it all.

"Lin… don't worry about it… you're a smart kid, I believe in you," She smiles kindly at me and pulls me in for a hug. I let myself relax, and appreciate it; I won't be getting any hugs in the games; that's for sure. She then moves away and leaves the living room, saying a small goodbye before she leaves. I put the ice cream I have been eating back in the kitchen, and walk into my own room. I collapse onto the bed and curl up in a ball, wishing this was all just a horrible dream.

District 4's POV

Aria Oreota

1, 2, 1, 2… I punch my pillow again and again, trying to gain some training from the little time I have left before the games. I am interrupted though by a small knock at my bedroom door. I walk over and open it slightly to see Poe standing outside, his eyes dark and tired.

"Can I come in? I can't sleep and I heard you move around so I guessed you were awake…" I nod to him and move to the side so he can walk in.

"Why can't you sleep?" I ask. I should really be sleeping myself, but I wanted to get some extra training, I find that is more important. I'm not nervous for the games either, so that wouldn't stop me from sleeping…

"I just keep thinking about the games, don't get me wrong I am far from nervous, I just keep wondering about what the arena is going to be like, don't you?"

To be honest, I haven't thought about it. I don't what I want it to be like; I just hope it is more in my favour than others. I shake my head from side to side in response and he looks slightly shocked.

"I would have thought you would be thinking about everything… do you have any target people?" I shrug at this; I don't want to give anything away.

I have joint the careers, which I am not sure was a good thing. I know that I can't kill Poe, for one he is my Ally, and two I kind of owe him. He saved my life after all… and I do believe in owing people and paying back your dues. It could cause some problems for me in the games, but then again, I can always change my mind.

Poseidon Hensworth

I sit in Aria's room talking to her. It literally is me talking to her, she barely says a word. I decide after a while that she obviously doesn't want to talk, and I kind of feel tired anyway. Truth is, I have been thinking a lot about the games. I've been deciding what I should do, how I should act with my alliance. Joining the careers was a great choice, but I feel like I have to prove myself to stay with them. Some of them have trained before after all, including Aria. I want to get home, I want to win this. It's truly just a game to me, and with all games you have to be in it to win it. So I will do my best, even if I have to kill others which won't be the easiest thing, but I will because I have to win this thing.

District 5's POV

Flair Rhodes

I can't sleep. However hard I try I really can't. It could be nerves, but I also want to slightly get into the arena already. Not that I want to fight to the death, but I want to get tomorrow over and done with, after all every day means one step closer to home. There's nothing more I want, than getting home. To see my family and especially Brynn, I miss her the most. We've spent all our lives being there for each other and I don't know how I have coped without her. I guess I have someone else to be there for me now. I am in an alliance with Savannah, and I'm really happy about it. I don't think I could have stayed alone in the arena, I need someone to talk to and someone who I can help and they help me. It's nice to have someone watching your back, and maybe until I get home, I can watch Savannah's back and she can watch mine, just how Brynn and I would.

Jackal West

I sit in my room, alone as usual. I like being alone, I think I would like someone to talk to, but people don't really like me because I am a bit too… honest. Being alone gives you time to think though, and I have been thinking about the arena and what I am going to do. I have decided I will try to get some good weapons and supplies and then take out as many people as possible; maybe that big alliance that has been formed. I could beat them with my eyes closed. They think they are great, but they haven't seen me fight, so they should watch their backs. I can't wait to win, and live in a big house with my Mother and Cloha. It will be great, I will have enough money to live on and my entire District will be jealous of my life. Everyone should watch out, because Jackal West is here and he is on his way to victory.

District 6's POV

Tess Hardy

I loosen my light blue ribbon which is my token out of my hair, and tie it in a pretty bow around my wrist. I won't be able to wear it in my hair in the arena, I doubt my hair is going to be nice and clean after one day. I feel sick at the thought of everything that will cover my skin and be in my hair – mud, leaves, twigs, dirt; maybe even dried blood. I hate to think that in a day's time I could look like that, someone who my parents won't even recognise as their quiet daughter who loves to sit and read books all day long. Then again, I think they would rather see me like that then in a coffin. I begin to feel sick thinking about me lying in a coffin, and I run to the bathroom to throw up the contents of my last meal. Once I am finished and I feel slightly better, I crawl under my covers and close my eyes tightly, wishing that I wasn't going into the Hunger Games tomorrow.

Kyran Flint

After quietly creeping out of my room and down the hallway, I finally make it to the main lift. The doors slide open and I walk in, pressing down on the 'R' button for roof. I wait a few minutes and once I reach the top I walk out, opening a door which leads me to the top of the building. You can see the bright lights of the Capitol city gleaming and some noise from them too. They really do like to party. I spot Reina, her red hair blowing wildly in the wind like flickering flames. I sneak up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist from behind. She flinches at first but then realises it is me and relaxes.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" she whispers sweetly, looking at me with her pale blue eyes.

"Yeah it is… shame it's filled with terrible people though…" I am sure there are cameras up here, listening in on our conversation, but when I came up here the previous night, I found out that the wind is so fierce you can hardly hear anything, so I don't need to worry.

"Are you scared Kyran… for tomorrow?" she looks at me with worry, and I can tell she is scared herself.

"I guess who wouldn't be?" She nods, feeling slightly better that she is not the only one. I turn her round and pull her closer towards me, wrapping her in my arms.

We stand for a while like this, and I finally break the silence.

"Can I tell you something?" She nods and I continue, "I don't think I could have coped… if I didn't have you with me here... I mean, I obviously don't want you to be in this situation… but we would of never have met otherwise and…"

She stops my nervous ranting and takes my face in her hands. She smiles and stands on her tip-toes, quickly pressing her soft lips against mine. I return the kiss, but she soon pulls away smiling shyly.

"Sorry… I just wanted too… you know because…"

I pull her back close and kiss her again not letting her finish her sentence either.

District 7's POV

Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen

I roll around in bed restlessly, not being able to get any sleep. I really need to; I doubt I will get much in the arena, you never know who is going to stab you in the back; literally. Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly glad I have made an alliance, and especially as there is three of us now. Of what I know, we are the next biggest alliance after the careers; that's got to be in our favour somehow. Three against two is definitely better than one against two. The only downside is that if I want to live, they have to die; but I have tried not to think about it too much. It will definitely be the hardest game I have ever played, its not just physical strength after all, you have to be mentally ready. You have to know what you are going to do next and how you are going to do it, but also, you have to deal with the consequences. No one, is going to be completely fine after killing someone, and you will have to have killed someone if you win, or want to, it would be basically impossible to not. I have tried to process in my mind, the thought of myself killing someone, and sometimes I can deal with it, others not. But I will have to, like I said, you will have to have killed someone if you want to win.

Itzel Minx

What will have happened in three days time…? Would the games be over? Would I even be alive? I'm sure I would be… I hope I would be. I can't even think of how my Mother would be, if she saw me lying in a dark coffin. She would see so many people lying in that coffin, my Father, my Brother and my Uncle. She has been through enough as it is, and adding to that pain would kill her inside, and I'd hate to think how she would probably end her own life. She doesn't deserve that pain, she has never done anything wrong, and she has always been kind and helpful to others. The Capitol has done this to her and me, bringing pain down on us in different ways. I want to avenge them, my lost family members, my Mother; but most of all I want to avenge myself. For the pain and troubles they will bring me the next couple of days, so I can show them that they can't break me like they will break others.

District 8's POV

Jazzy Kaede 

Chase and I sit together on the living room sofa. My head is rested comfortably on his shoulder and I am curled up next to him. We've been talking about things like our homes and our families… well my family… he doesn't seem to like talking about his; I still haven't got to asking him about that, but in his interview he did say his situation wasn't very good, so maybe its best not to. Its weird thinking we met the day of the reaping, and if neither of us had been reaped I doubt we would have seen each other again. Its weird how this situation has brought us together, and how I can picture us in 5 years time, happy back in our district most likely dating still, and I would be so happy. But that can't happen, both of us can't win, and that's the terrible part. I really like him… and maybe even… Anyway, I guess if he wins, I would want him to find someone else… I expect he could, he's probably had a lot of girlfriends before; he is very handsome after all.

"Jazzy… I need to tell you something…" he says, sitting up on the sofa and facing me. I sit up too and face him, what could he need to tell me?

Chase Sedesky 

I stare into Jazzy's eyes, my stomach is in my knots and I am rather nervous, but I need to tell her, I might not get to after this. I've never dated anyone before… if you could call this dating… so I've never experienced any of this.

"I…I… I think I… I think I love you," I blurt out the last bit of the sentence, and she just stares at me with slight shock. I don't know what to do, so I lean in and kiss her. She is shocked at first and I think she is going to pull away, but then she kisses me back. We finally pull away and she bites her lip shyly.

"I think I love you too," she says giggling. We both begin to laugh and I wrap her in my arms tightly not wanting to let her go. "I really hate this… the situation we are in…" she mumbles into my shirt.

"I know… but I will protect you don't worry…"

"What?" she says looking up at me.

"I'll help you… I'll kill other tributes if I have to… just to keep you safe…" she smiles sweetly at me and presses her lips against mine again.

We sit for a while, in silence, just thinking, and as I begin to fall asleep with Jazzy wrapped in my arms, I whisper in her ear, "I promise Jazzy, I will."

District 9's POV

Reina Luckmere

I sit next to Kyran on the roof, and we just stare out at the bright lights and vast buildings. I can't help but wonder, if I had lived in the Capitol how my life would be different. I wouldn't be in this situation, I would be rich, I would have probably not been abused, and I would have a good life. I wouldn't have met Kyran though, and that would be the down side. I wished we lived in the same District, and maybe we would have met before all of this and it could be different in some ways. I believe that things happen in your life by the different choices you make, but then again we didn't choose to get reaped and be sent to our deaths. And we didn't get a choice in where we were born or grew up.

I decide its time to leave; I need to sleep if I want to live after all. I kiss Kyran on the cheek and make my way to the lift. I press the nine button and let the lift take me down to my floor. I make my way to my room and climb in bed, and suddenly tears begin to fill my eyes. I don't want to cry, I try not to because I want to be strong, but sometimes being strong just isn't enough.

Caleb York

I'm so scared. I'm so scared. I'm going to die… I don't want to die. I shake in my bed, tears flowing down my face. I am having a complete break down at the moment, and I don't care. Anyone should have a breakdown if they are being sent off to their deaths. I should be worried; if I am up against them strong careers I am dead. All I can do is hide, so I will. I will run as fast as I can and hide in a group of trees somewhere. I have hid for years now; I think I can do it for a few more days. If I can just get away from the beginning fight, I could maybe survive. I finally begin to calm down and my eyes flutter shut to a world where I don't have to hide.

District 10's POV

Savannah King

It's been a tiring few days, all the training and then the interviews. I should be falling asleep instantly, but I can't. It's worrying that's what it is. My mind is over thinking things, trying to figure out what I should do. The problem is, no one knows what to expect in the arena, we are the first to experience all of this. We can't get any advice from people, because what would anyone else know that we don't already. I hope for the next group of tributes after us, and the ones after them and so on, get help from the winners. I hate seeing the little kids here, they haven't even grown up yet, they haven't experienced things that they should have. Neither have I to be honest, if I don't win, I will never get married; I will never have children, I will never get to do what other people will. I know our lives are restricted at the moment as it is, but I hope that changes too one day. But I will win. I want all these things so I will try my hardest and I will win this. I want a lot of things to change and happen, but winning this game is my main priority at the moment.

Luka Kingston Jeredi

Pacing back and forth in my room, my mind spins with so many thoughts. This whole thing is a joke, the way everyone is probably wide awake and can't sleep because they are so nervous about this whole thing. I believe I can win this; I have the skills to, especially when I am… not myself. I don't think the other tributes truly know what I am like, so if I don't let them find out till we are in the actual games, I will have the advantage. I want to get home to Claude, he's done so much for me and I don't want to leave him alone. I have no allies to bring me down, I have no attachments to anyone in the games, and so as long as I keep my guard up, I can do this. I finally stop pacing and climb into my bed, tired from the days of training. I close my eyes and fall into a calm sleep, with no worry in my mind.

District 11's POV

Ashley Blake

Many people don't know me back in my district. Obviously they _know_ me, having seen me around the orchards, but no-one actually knows who I am. I am only thirteen; I should have my whole life ahead of me, but right now I am not worrying about that and the only thing I am concentrating on is the Hunger Games. I want to win this… I need to win this. My life shouldn't be over yet, I don't want it to be either. I gained a good training score, which means I could get sponsors, I would appreciate them greatly. Who knows what the arena will be like… it could be an ice landscape and the only thing I need to survive is warmth, I won't be able to find that anywhere in ice. It's all about where we are put and what it is like. And then after that it is based on instinct. I feel everyone just thinks you have to be strong and skilled, but there is always a chance, that you will need brains as well; and that's where others will fall.

Brock Stern

I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall. It feels like how I was back at home, just sitting there. I've had an interesting past few days… but my interview just topped it. You could say… some people didn't really like my interview… I was too… rebellious for them. I don't care. Why should I care about what they think about me? They have killed everyone I love, leaving me with nothing. They have their fancy clothes, and rich houses and I have nothing. Why should I show them respect and tell them about me, when all I can tell them is that they are all murderers. Overall, I don't care what I do anymore. I have nothing to lose, so why bother caring?

District 12's POV

Annalisa Soleil

I lay in bed, trying to block out the worry for tomorrow. I don't want it to happen; I would rather do more interviews and training for the rest of my life then be sent into the games. Everything is filling my mind now, what I should do, where should I go. I can't really determine anything until I know what the arena is like… but I still don't know whether I should run or not. Could I really beat one of the careers? Or even another tribute? I haven't made an alliance, but watching others in training I have noticed a few have. I have a sort of strategy I guess… so I have somewhat planned. But it is not like we have any idea what it will be like because of previous games… seeing as we are the first ones! I just hope that I can understand quickly… because I am guessing we won't have long to get ready…

Oliver Istas

Less than a day. I have less than a day before I go into the Hunger Games. It's only hit me now, how worried I actually am. How can you plan for something like this? I doubt anyone has said 'I'm going to make a complete fool proof plan that will help me win the fight to the death I am being sent into,' no that's ridiculous. I think it would have been easier in years to come, when you have an idea of what the games are like. But we have no help at all… not even a clue about what it is about. These gamemakers really want to watch us suffer don't they? No-one knows how things will pan out tomorrow… how could they? Not even the gamemakers know who will die, but I guess that is the exciting part for them. It's the terrible part for us, not knowing if we are going to be alive or dead tomorrow. But that's what's so fun about these games for them. They will always win.

* * *

Next chapter is the games! 'whose excited?' *puts hands in the air*. This is actually the longest chapter I have wrote so far, which explains why it took longer to update. I am so excited for the next few chapters and I will try to update as soon as possible! Also, after the bloodbath I am making a poll on my profile, to see who your favourites are etc. It could help decide who lives... so look out for that soon.

Anyway thank you so much for reading and reviewing! _-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories_


	30. Let The Games Begin, Day 1

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

I stand in a small room, nervously waiting for when I am sent into the arena. My stylist stands in front of me, sorting out my outfit. I wear a sort of all in one suit, which is black, and apparently water proof. I also wear a black waterproof jacket and some black running shoes. I'm not sure why we are dressed like this, but it must be to do with the arena. My stylist has put my hair into two braids so it is out of my face, and now she has to explain some rules to me.

"Ok Savannah, this is what is going to happen. You will go into that tube like structure there and be brought up to the arena. You will surround a structure which is called a cornucopia, and it will be filled and surrounded with supplies and weapons. You will be standing on a metal plate, whatever you do, don't step off of it until the 60 second countdown is over, there are mines underneath the plate that will explode if you step off. I can't tell you anything else, but I wish you luck," they wrap me into a hug and then lead me over to the tube.

I stand inside and some glass doors slam in front of me. I begin to panic slightly, not liking being in such an enclosed space. I press my hands against the glass, trying to get out, but then I feel myself begin to move upwards. I am brought out onto a large field, surrounded by clusters of trees. I look around and realise you can't actually see beyond the trees; it will be a guess from now on of where we will be heading to.

All the tributes are now surrounding the 'cornucopia' which looks like a giant golden horn. I can see it is filled with backpacks and weapons and it is also surrounded with them too. By the look of things, the further away the objects the better they are. Therefore, if you want something good, you have to fight your way through.

"Welcome tributes to the 1st Annual Hunger Games, may the odds be ever in your favour!" A voice booms around us and we all jump in shock. "60, 59, 58, 57…"

The countdown begins and I get into a running stance, readying myself for the fight to come.

_Micah Flay (18), District 2 Female-POV_

The countdown starts and I get ready for the up coming fight. Looking around, I know that I can easily get a lot of weapons from the cornucopia. It won't be hard, looking around at the other tributes. They all look so nervous and scared, except the careers of course and maybe a few others. I spot the other careers spread around the circle, all staring determined to also get some supplies. The arena is a mystery to me, you can't see what it is even like, seeing as we are surrounded by tall trees that hide whatever is behind them. I will have to look around after this.

"10, 9, 8, 7…"

I stare in front of me, getting ready to dash off of my plate as soon as possible.

"3, 2, 1…" The gong sounds and I leap off of the plate.

I run towards the cornucopia, the wind rushing against my face. I see my favourite weapon, a bow and arrow lying near the entrance, and sweep it up quickly. I swing my head round, watching my back, but everyone is in a pit of chaos. Weapons fly around, some tributes hide, others flee. I spot the two from eight holding hands, running through the trees, carrying a few bags and a knife each. I am surprised to be fair, they were pretty quick. I then see the District 9 boy, flailing round trying to find something. He is so scared and tears fly down his face already. I can't help but feel bad for the kid, and if we weren't against each other, I would want to help him. Deciding it's the best thing to do, I lift my bow and arrow, pull back the string and release, letting the arrow fly through the air and land straight into his skull. He falls to the floor in a heap, his head flooding out with blood. I look away and search through the cornucopia, finding some more good supplies, and sorting them all out. I'm sure the other careers can deal with the fighting… and killing.

_Lin Jacobs (12), District 3 Male-POV_

I jump off of my plate and run forwards towards some items lying on the floor. I grab some wire and a back pack lying on the floor, obviously no one else wanted them. I make my way through the fight, staying unnoticed by others. I pick up a few supplies on the way and make my way into the cornucopia. I duck down behind some crates and stuff all of my supplies into one backpack. All of a sudden, I hear footsteps. I peer over and see the girl from 2 holding a bow and arrow, shooting at someone. She is finished quickly and turns her back to me, looking through weapons and other items. I feel my heart beating faster, not realising how scared I was of her. I take a chance, and run out again, not wanting to face her. Luckily she doesn't turn around, and I escape. I run round the back, trying to move quickly, but I run into a tall boy, and we slam together and I fall to the floor. He looks over me, his eyes dark and quite angry at me disrupting him, and I then realise it is Poseidon from District 4. In someway, he seems to look at me with pity, but I know he has to do what he will do next, its part of the game. He takes his scythe in his hand, and swipes it over my stomach. The pain is incredible, and I cling onto my stomach in agony. My hands become covered in blood, and I stare at them with horror, as tears begin to fill my eyes.

"Sorry kid…" he mumbles, as he swipes the scythe again across my throat.

I begin to choke, coughing up bright red blood. My sight begins to fade, and I reach around for anything that could help me; even though I know nothing could. I take one last deep breath, before my world turns black and I am silenced for forever.

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

I run into the cornucopia, nodding to Micah as I enter. I pick up some supplies, such as a large backpack filled with food, a bottle of water, medical equipment and some rope. I also find a sleeping bag and stuff it inside, fitting everything securely in. I then find a few small throwing knives and put them into the bag and I grip a large knife in my hand. With the backpack on my shoulders tightly, I run out of the cornucopia.

"What are you doing?" Micah asks just before I leave.

"Oh, just being prepared, I'm going to go check out beyond the trees and I'll be back soon" I say smiling. She nods and turns back to whatever she was doing.

I sprint back over to the direction of where my plate first stood, and as I am running I spot another knife on the floor. I don't see why I couldn't use another one. As I reach down to grab it, someone runs into me, obviously not looking where they are going, and causes me to be knocked to the ground, with them joining me. I sit up rapidly and throw myself onto the tribute.

"What do you think your doing?" I hiss, staring down at the boy I now recognise as the District 12 male, Oliver. He stares up at me, smirking slightly, his blonde hair hanging over his eyes.

"I don't know, what do you want me to have been doing?" Is he seriously flirting with me?

He smiles seductively and I stare down at him confused. He takes this to his advantage and kicks his legs up, hitting me in the stomach and making me fall back. He jumps up and runs towards the trees, but I am too quick for him. I take my knife and throw it through the air. It whizzes towards him and lands directly in his back where the spine is. He falls to the floor face first, and I run over to him. I pull the knife out, spin him over on his back and he winces in pain. I take the same knife and stab him in the stomach, twisting it round and round. He cries out in pain, but it gets caught in his throat, and suddenly his head rolls back, his eyes following. I take the knife, wiping the blood on my trousers, and then step over him. I run off into the trees, until I see what I have been looking for.

The water crashes against the edge of land in waves of crystal blue. It feels like home, just standing here. I secure my bag tightly, making sure no water will get in, and I dive straight through the water. It feels good on my skin, and I push myself through until I make it to the other side. I know what you think; she's part of an alliance, why is she going by herself. To be honest, I decided this when I was on my plate. I have never been 100% with the careers, and when I was standing on my plate and could hear the sound of water crashing, I knew I had to go here. I doubt anyone else can swim, except for Poe, and he wouldn't try to kill me; I guess its District loyalty. So anyway, I will prefer being by myself; I just feel bad I guess, not warning Poe. But he will be fine, if he's smart, he will know where I have gone.

I turn away from the water, and the fight beyond the trees, and take off through the calm meadow alone.

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

As the gong sounds, signalling for us to begin, I leap off of my plate and run forward, snatching up a medium sized backpack. I look around quickly, and spot some wire a few metres away. I sprint over and pick it up, stuffing it inside my pack. Everyone around me is either deep into battle, or taking something and getting away as fast as they can. I carry on sprinting toward the cornucopia, and lean against the cool metal on the side. Looking around, you can hardly tell who anyone is anymore. Most tributes are injured, and some even lying on the floor dead, already defeated. I spot the District 7 two, heading off in different directions. The girl runs in the direction behind me to the right, while the boy runs to the front of me to the right. I wonder what is behind the trees. It must be different scenery in certain areas… I suddenly realise where I actually am and the fact I should be trying to get more supplies and getting out of here. I spot a normal looking knife, which seems easy to use, and I think I could use it pretty good. I sprint over and just as I go to pick it up, I feel a sharp sting in my arm. I look down to see a small knife sticking out of it. I grimace at the blood pouring out and at the pain that has now appeared, but then look around angrily, realising someone must have aimed it at me. As I look up, I feel something move near my feet and when I look down the knife has gone. I look in front of me and see the District 3 girl running off, the knife in her hand. I pull the knife out of my arm which hurts incredibly, and then run at her, throwing the knife. She turns round hearing me coming, and the knife slices her forehead, leaving a deep gash which is already bleeding and the blood is falling into her eyes. She stares at me angrily and runs straight at me, knocking me back. She swings her knife at me and it slices across my face, making it sting. I put my hand to my cheek in shock and it is covered in bright red blood. I get back up and run at her, kicking the base of my foot into her shins. She falls to the floor and I jump on top of her pinning her down. I take the knife I threw at her off the floor and make a cut in her leg. She screams out in pain, but punches me round the face making me fall off of her. She jumps up and grabs the backpack she had and the knife she took, and runs off slowly into the trees, because of her injured leg. I get up myself, pick up my own backpack and knife and take off into the trees myself, and then soon find myself in a jungle landscape.

_Jackal West (14), District 5 Male-POV_

I run off my plate, heading straight for the cornucopia, that's obviously where all the best supplies are. I make my way nearer, stumbling a few times, but I suddenly see the career girl from two run inside it. Soon after I see an arrow fly out and hit the scared boy from nine straight in the head. I decide not to go there yet, as much as I could beat her, she's armed, so she would have an unfair advantage. I look around for a weapon and find a puny knife lying on the floor; I guess it's better than nothing. I suddenly spot Reina, the girl from nine, running towards a backpack with a large dagger. The dagger looks so much better than this knife. I decide to act on my decisions, and run at her, my knife held out in front of me. I reach her and she spins round, her eyes wide. I knock her down and she falls to the floor because of the impact, her head hitting the ground. I lift the knife above my head to strike down, and she tries to move away.

"Kyran!" she shouts, with what seems all the energy she has.

No-one seems to come and I let the knife drive itself towards her stomach. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my arm, and blood splatters all over Reina's face. I look confused, and then I see my arm lying on the floor.

"What…what… what did you do?" I shout at her. I fall to the side and lie on the grass, the flesh where my arm used to be now bleeding non-stop. A giant puddle of red lies net to me, and I feel myself grow dizzy.

"Come on Reina let's go!" I hear a voice say, I look to the side to see Kyran, the boy from six running over to her.

"I…I can't…" she mutters her eyes rolling slightly.

"Yes you can!" he says. She suddenly doesn't move, but I can tell she is alive by the rise and fall of her chest. Kyran then picks up his supplies and stuffs them into his backpack quickly, throwing it on his back. He takes Reina's dagger, tucking them into the belt of his trousers. He scoops Reina into his arms, and begins to run off towards the trees. In a last attempt to get my revenge, I use my good arm to throw my knife. It implants itself in his leg and I hear him cry out. He limps off into the trees, still holding on to Reina.

I feel myself begin to grow dizzy and my vision becoming blurred. As I drift off into another place, I still can't believe that I lost the fight.

_Loki Braveheart (18), District 1 Male-POV_

I jog round the grass area, looking for a suitable weapon. I soon find a long, sharp sword which is a favourite weapon of mine. The Careers are all doing their own thing, and we are then going to meet up in the cornucopia after. I stand in what I resemble to a battle field, and look around to see any tributes I could 'remove' from the competition. I suddenly see Savannah out of the corner of my eye gathering supplies, and I feel the need to protect her. It can't happen right now though; I have to be loyal to my alliance. I see something else though again, but this time not good. I see Poe standing around looking bored like he needs to do something. I feel the need to shout in protest as I see him spot Savannah and grip his scythe tighter as if he is going to use it. I feel panic run through me at the prospect of her being slaughtered and lying on the ground bleeding to death. I need to find something to block the weapon.

I see the girl from six, Tess, sprinting to get to the other side of the 'battlefield'. In a last minute decision, I throw my sword in her direction and all I can say is thank god for my great aim. It lands in the side of her head, and I wince slightly as I see the point come out the other side. She stumbles back just as the scythe is thrown into the air, and the scythe lands into her body, which blocks it from hitting Savannah. Savannah looks at Tess wide eyed, and then looks up at me in shock. I mouth 'GO!' to her and she gains sense, running into the trees with Flair, her ally, and their supplies.

Poe looks confused at the whole situation, but doesn't realise I meant to block his attack. I gesture over for him to join me but he is soon distracted by something else going on.

_Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV_

Bounding off of my plate, the first thing I look for is Ashley. I soon spot her, blending in and collecting supplies staying unnoticed. I decide to do this myself, I might not stay unnoticed; it's hard to do that when you're the tallest here, but I can try and collect some good supplies before I head off. I jog round for a bit, it's not the best of experiences, it being like a Bloodbath and all; and I'm not exaggerating, I have other people's blood already all over my shoes. I gain a knife and a backpack, until I catch sight of something going on. Ashley is trying to pull out a weapon from the ground, and it seems to be stuck. That isn't what catches my eye as much, some metres away I see that evil girl Mercy who was scaring Ashley in training, holding a large, _sharp _spear in her hand. She looks at me and smirks, as she gets into a throwing stance. I know what she is doing; she doesn't want to kill Ashley, no, she wants to hurt me, she wants me to feel pain by losing someone I wanted to protect. That's happened to me many times in my life already, and I can't let it happen again.

I run as fast as my legs can take me; my lungs are on fire because of the deep breaths I am taking to help me go further. Ashley is still unaware of what is going on, but as loud as I shout, she still can't hear me over the commotion of other fights.

"ASHLEY!" I shout with all the air I have left.

She looks up, wide eyed and sees Mercy throw the spear. She stands frozen like she can't move, and I keep on shouting for her to run. I do what my instincts tell me, so when I make it to her and the spear is so close I can hear the whizzing sound it makes in the air, I push her out of the way and let the spear sink deep into my chest. I fall to the floor and look to the side to see Ashley getting up from the floor and running over.

"Brock!" she says gripping my hand, tears streaming down her face.

"It's ok… it's ok, you need to run now, as far as you can, go!" I say with all the strength I have left, she shakes her head in protest.

"I can't leave you…you…you saved me!" she says sobbing now.

"I'll be fine…" I whisper, "You need to go, because Mercy…will be over soon and… I don't want you to die too…" I take deep breaths trying to get my last words out. I take the knife I still grip in my hand and press it in hers. She looks at it and gives a small smile.

"Thank you Brock… I'll never forget what you did for me…" she kisses me lightly on the cheek and then wipes the tears away from her eyes. She gets up grabbing her supplies and the knife and takes off towards the trees, where I can no longer see her.

I let my head fall back, my breaths are beginning to slow down and I know it will soon be my time to go. I hear footsteps by my head and I open my eyes to see Mercy looking down at me grinning.

"Aw poor Brock-y, saving little Ashley there… I would have rather killed you anyway…" she pulls out her spear and begins to walk away.

"Thank you… Mercy…" I say taking a wheezing breath. I look to the other side of me and smile.

She turns round and looks at me confused, "What?"

"Thank you…" I feel myself drifting away, and I smile again at what stands next to me.

My parents, Malaya and Theo all stand smiling back at me. Malaya offers an outstretched hand, and I take it. After years of unhappiness, and what should be the worst part of my short life, I smile at the chance I have been given. The chance to be with my family again.

_Araluen Osman (18), District 2 Male-POV_

All the tributes have left the field, and now the only ones left are us careers. We have decided to make camp in the cornucopia for the night, and then after we will start looking for tributes. I volunteered to do the final rounds, which is basically collecting the last of the weapons and supplies that are around the cornucopia. The bodies of fallen tributes are still lying lifeless around me; most of them were killed by my own alliance. I hate seeing the younger tributes the most, like the male district three kid or the boy from nine. I guess they wouldn't of survived long, being against stronger tributes, but it's sad that they had to die so early in life. Once I have filled the small bag I hold, I walk over to the edge of the cornucopia to find the other one I left there.

I crouch down to pick it up, but I suddenly feel a pushing force against my head and it smashes against the metal. Before I can even see who did it, I feel a sharp blade slice my neck. Blood fills my mouth and I start to choke coughing up red liquid. I begin to struggle trying to get away, but my attacker keeps me held by the throat. I kick against the cornucopia, making loud sounds so it echoes through and would make my alliance come to see what is happening. I move my head back and head butt the attacker, but he just groans in slight pain and annoyance. He then brings a sharp dagger round the front of me and stabs it in my stomach.

"Araluen, are you ok?" I hear Micah's voice call out. I let out a gargled cry and I hear her begin to run.

The attacker drops me and I lean against the cornucopia, still coughing up blood. I open my eyes slightly to see Luka, the crazy boy from ten, who I remember having the outburst in training, running off into the trees. Just as he is no longer in sight, Loki, Mercy, Micah and Poe all come round the side of the cornucopia. They all gasp in shock and I turn away ashamed.

"Araluen… what happened?" Micah says, falling down to her knees and gripping my hand tightly. I just shake my head in reply, I feel to sick to talk my head is spinning.

"That's it!" Mercy shouts, slamming her hand into the wall of the cornucopia. "No-one hurts a career and gets away with it!" Loki and Poe nod in agreement, but we all know I'm not just hurt.

"Araluen… you're going to be fine…" Micah says squeezing my hand. I try to stay strong, more for my family than anything; I don't want them to see me in pain.

I feel my eyes drift shut, and I see all the careers look at me. I look at Micah last, and I see her face turn from calm to anger. Just as I take my last breath, I hear her mutter Mercy's previous words.

"No-one kills a career…" She looks up angrily at the rest of the alliance, her eyes dark. "So… Let the games begin…"

* * *

**The Fallen**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay.  
**

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth.  
**

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota.  
**

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint.  
**

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart.  
**

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen.  
**

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.  
**

* * *

****And there is the first ever Bloodbath of the Hunger Games ;D I hope you liked this chapter, I did enjoy writing it but it took slightly longer than I hoped, due to sorting out where everyone went and any injuries etc. I will try to update soon, but for the meantime look out for a poll on my page, to vote for your favourite tribute! It could decide whether they live...or die! *insert evil laughter here*. Anyway, thank you all for reading and all your great reviews, it really means a lot.

_-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories_


	31. Trying To Survive, Day 1

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

Loki, Micah, Poseidon and I all sit together in the cornucopia. We have made a fire to keep warm, and we are eating some bird which had landed on one of the bodies earlier and I had killed it with my knife. We are all chatting amongst ourselves but there is an awkward tension in the air, after what happened to Araluen. Suddenly we begin to hear loud noises. We all get into action, thinking that someone is attacking, but Loki soon realises what it is.

"It's only the cannons…" he says, "The ones they sound to let you know a tribute has died." We all nod in understanding, remembering our escorts all telling us.

All together, I count seven cannons, which means there were seven deaths. Only sixteen more until there is a winner.

"Look!" Micah says, pointing outside. We all turn to look and watch as hovercrafts come to collect the bodies. One by one each body is sucked up into the hovercraft and then taken away.

"Micah… when did Aria say she would be back?" Poe asks.

"She… she didn't, she just said she was going to check out beyond the trees and then she would be back soon," we all look at each other, all realising the same thing.

"It seems to me that Aria isn't coming back Micah…" I say, rubbing my already tired eyes. The alliance is already falling apart, and I can't help but feel angry at the fact that Aria has just got up and left, who does she think she is? Micah nods in agreement and we all stay silent for a bit. "In the morning…" I begin, "once we are all fed and rested, we can look around, see what is beyond the trees, maybe even find ourselves a tribute or two…"

Everyone agrees and Loki volunteers to be on watch first. As I am drifting off to a well needed sleep, I am awoken by the loud Capitol Anthem.

_Kadence Smith (14), District 3 Female-POV_

I limp through the trees and find myself becoming colder as I near the edge. I make my way through, having to stop every so often because of the horrible pain in my leg. I'm sure I can hear echoing footsteps, which makes me not want to stop for longer than a minute. I finally reach the landscape I have been heading too, and find myself in a snow and ice covered ground. I zip my jacket up to my chin and pull over my hood to keep me warm, and it slightly helps. It begins to snow, and I decide to try and find some sort of cover. I spot an igloo in the distance and once I reach it, I crawl inside. It is incredibly warmer inside, but there is still a chill to the air. Before I rest, I look through my backpack and find some bandages and some matches. I use the matches to melt some ice, and I drink some, and use the rest to clean the wounds on my leg and head. After, I wrap a bandage round both cuts to stop them from bleeding and getting infected.

After failing to fall asleep, in worry that someone will find me, I sit up and try to find any food that could be in my bag. All I find is some dried fruit, so I eat a few pieces but leave the rest for another time; who knows when I could get any more food. I am soon distracted, by cannons firing. I hear seven, which means seven tributes have died. Soon after, the Capitol anthem is played around the arena, and I peer out of the igloo to see what it is all about.

Up in the sky, appears the words 'The Fallen Tributes' and soon after faces begin to appear. First it is the District nine boy, he was obviously the first to die. The second face makes me gasp, as Lin's face appears, him smiling sweetly. I feel sick at the thought of him, the boy who I comforted on the last night, and the boy who reminded me of my younger brother, dead. Having been murdered probably by one of those terrible careers. My own run in with the District twelve girl could have caused that to happen to me, but I guess I was luckier. I can't bear to look anymore; I don't want to look at dead kids any longer. I crawl back into the igloo and pull out the sleeping bag I collected. I curl into a ball inside to keep warm, and pray that no-one came to the same place. I don't have an Ally to watch out for me after all.

_Flair Rhodes (15), District 5 Female-POV _

Savannah and I run through the trees, trying to find a suitable camp for the night. We don't know whether to stay on the ground for a quick get away but it would be less safe, or take to the trees which are safer but easier for us to be targeted. We finally find a tree which has thick branches that could easily hold our weight. Savannah climbs first, easily scaling the tree, knowing where to put each hand and foot. She gets to the first set of branches and waits for me to begin to climb. I look up at her, but then look down embarrassed. The truth is, I'm not exactly the best tree climber; I've actually never climbed a tree. I know, I know, I should have said something, but I didn't want to drag Savannah down. She looks down at me and she automatically understands.

"Put your right foot there, then your right hand there, then your left foot…" She begins to explain and soon I am at the same level in the tree as her. We both give a small cheer in success, and then carry on climbing. We end up quite high in the tree, and we begin to look through our bags.

"Oh I have a sleeping bag," she says happily. She pulls it out and unravels it and begins to climb in, "I think both of us could fit in it actually."

I climb in with her and we both sit comfortably inside. It just feels like how two sisters or best friends would be, even though we haven't known each other that long I guess I would call her a close friend; if we weren't in this situation I feel we could have been best friends, but I guess that's just wishful thinking.

Soon after we relax and begin eating some dried fruit from my pack, the Capitol anthem plays and in the sky faces begin to appear. The face I notice in particular is my district partner Jackal. I know I should feel slight grief, but all that boy ever was to me was rude. I always try to find the good side in things, but he was just too negative.

Once the faces have been shown, I relax my head against the tree to keep watch, while Savannah gets some rest. After what feels like a while, I suddenly hear footsteps crunching against leaves below me. I crane my head to the side to see what it is, hoping it is just an animal. Again, wishful thinking. Leaning against the tree we are sitting in, is Savannah's district partner Luka. I gasp slightly, but then cover my mouth realising how stupid that was. Luckily, we must be high up enough for him to not hear. I shake Savannah's arm to wake her up, and she begins to mumble and yawn, but I quickly cover my hand over her mouth, widening my eyes to tell her to stop. Once she realises, I move my hand away slowly and point down to the ground. She looks over, and then looks back at me, with slight worry on her face. She presses her lips together deep in thought, and then sits up slightly as if she has an idea. She quietly shuffles out of the sleeping bag and climbs up the tree higher.

"What are you doing?" I whisper, trying to get her to come back down.

"You'll see…" she replies as she makes her way higher.

She reaches a high branch and above her is a smaller one, which she breaks off. She twists her arm across her body, and then swings it out letting the branch fly through the air and land in a cluster of bushes a few metres away. Luka tenses, hearing the noise, and begins to run towards where it came from, he must think it was another tribute. Once he has disappeared, Savannah climbs back down but stays out of the sleeping bag, deciding it is her turn to take watch. I let myself get comfortable; as comfortable you can get on a tree branch, and let my eyes drift closed, feeling much safer with Savannah around.

_Kyran Flint (17), District 6 Male-POV_

My heart beats wildly in my chest as struggle to run through the trees, Reina lying limp in my arms. It doesn't help, that the little cocky tribute from five threw a knife at my leg. Yeah I know, I did slice his arm off, but it was to protect Reina, and I would have done anything. As I reach the clearing, I find myself standing in front of a huge desert. Around me stands broken ruins, some in ok condition, others just bits of rubble. I walk a bit further trying to find a good place to rest, and I soon find some parts of rubble which have fallen so there is a roof type structure over other parts. I fall onto my knees and place Reina under the shade, and then crawl in myself, pulling the pack off of my back and beginning to look through it. I find an average sized bottle of water, and begin to pour some in her mouth to stop the dryness, and then splash some over her face, trying to wake her up. She doesn't even stir; she just lies silently, not moving an inch. I feel panic run through me at the aspect of her not waking up and me having to spend more than a day without her in these terrible games.

"Come on Reina please… please wake up…" my face falls onto her stomach and I feel tears spring into my eyes. "Reina… Reina!" I begin to shout hysterically, shaking her shoulders to make her wake.

She stays silent for a while and I sit silently myself, just staring at her, waiting… willing for her to wake up. I take a sip of water myself, feeling the heat get to me, but I keep giving her some, hoping it will help her.

After what feels like an eternity of waiting, her eyes begin to flicker and she looks up at me dreamingly. She lifts her hand to my face softly; her cold fingertips making shivers run through me. I lean down to her and kiss her lightly, hoping that being under the ruins will hide us from the cameras; I'd rather them not use her against me even more after seeing that we are not just an alliance. I help her sit up, and push back her red hair behind her ear, keeping it out of her eyes. I give her more water to drink and she takes it gratefully. After gaining some energy back, she finally says something.

"Kyran your hurt!" she drifts her hand over the stab wound in my leg and I flinch slightly. "Here let me clean the wound, you could get blood poisoning if you're not careful!"

Opening the backpack again, she reaches in the bottom to find a medical kit. She zips it open and finds some bandages. She uses some water to clean the wound and then wraps the bandage round my leg tightly to stop the blood flow.

"What would I do without you…?" I say squeezing her hand comfortingly.

"What would we do without each other?" she whispers as I wrap her in my arms.

_Itzel Minx (14), District 7 Male-POV_

After running quickly through the tree area, I found myself walking through a jungle area. The floor beneath me is a dark green with tints of light green in it, and there are trees around me with vines and some bushes which you could forage berries from. I have spotted some different plants too, but I wouldn't trust myself to pick some of them, most of them are foreign to me. Sadly, I only came out of the bloodbath with nothing more than a large backpack. I'll just have to rely on sponsors from now on I guess.

I decide to climb a tree with sort of a canopy over it made of leaves, and the branches are quite thick and stable. Once comfortably on one, I rest my backpack in front of me and begin to look through it. I find a sleeping bag which I am happy about, a bottle of water, some dried beef strips, dried pieces of fruit, some rope and a sheet of plastic. I think I got some good supplies, but I think I would have rather got an axe or any weapon instead. I guess I can survive though, if I don't get attacked by another tribute that has a weapon that is.

I know I would be terrible in one, but an alliance sounds good at the moment. If I was in one, they may have got a weapon, which would mean I would have some sort of protection. It's a hard decision to make, I think anyway, if you should make an alliance or not. There are so many things you have to consider. For example, what if it ended up you had to fight each other, someone who you have gotten to know over the few days that you have been fighting for your life, and you might have to watch the light in their eyes slowly fade away, as you pull out the bright red knife you had just attacked them with. I don't know about you, but I think that would slowly drive someone into insanity.

As I lie in my sleeping bag on a high branch in the tree, I look out into the sky which is beginning to darken, and my eyes begin to drift shut. I am suddenly awoken by the loud Capitol anthem, and the 'fallen' tributes start to appear one by one in the sky. I am surprised by the last face to show in the sky, which is the district two male tribute. I thought he was part of that super alliance or something… I bet they're planning revenge on whoever did it… unless they don't know who did. I feel bad for whoever did… it's definitely not a good situation for them, being out numbered and all.

See… this is why I don't get involved in or with alliances.

_Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen (12), District 7 Female-POV_

After waiting out in a tree for my alliance to find me, I begin to worry at where they could have got to. The three of us agreed that we would get as many supplies in the bloodbath as we could and then meet somewhere near. Seeing as the forest area was the nearest part, I guessed that was going to be the spot. Making me nearly fall out of the tree, a group of cannons begin to go off and then soon after the Capitol anthem begins to play. In the darkening sky, the words 'fallen tributes' show. My heart begins to beat fast, realising what 'fallen tributes' meant. The first two tributes were kind of expected, but the third one makes me gasp. Oliver's face smiles down at me and I can't seem to process the fact that one of my allies is already dead. There is another tribute that shows and then I let out another gasp as my other ally Tess, also smiles down at me. I cover my mouth in shock, at the realisation that in fact I am now by myself. I don't have an alliance now. I don't have anyone to watch out for me or someone to help me anymore. Wanting to get away, even though you can't exactly run away from the sky, I jump down from the tree I am in and head out through the clearing.

The blue water in front of me reflects the fake stars of the arena sky, and I bite my lip as I try to think of a way to get across. This is why are clothes are waterproof; the gamemakers obviously want some of us to make it across, so maybe there is something good there. I kneel down on the leaf covered floor and open up my pack. Searching through there is nothing that could help me get across. Now is the time I wish I was from District four.

After thinking for a few minutes, I give up putting my head in my hands. Then to make things better, it begins to rain. I have a feeling the gamemakers just wanted a few laughs because looking back into the trees there is no rain in sight. I let out a huff and hold my backpack above my head to stop the rain from soaking me. Suddenly, having a slight brainwave I put down the backpack and put my head back in my hands. I let out cries and whimpers, which if I was watching I would feel sorry for myself. This poor, little, twelve year old girl crying in the rain after losing both her allies; I know I'm clever right? Like I expected, seconds later a parachute floats down next to me. I try to act surprised, as I reach over and take it in my hands. Reading the note attached it reads _'Good job, Olive.'_ I smile at the message from my escort; she's not as stupid as I thought. Inside the small container is some folded up plastic. As I unfold it, I realise it is in fact a float of some sort. I turn it over and press a button which is placed on it. The float soon inflates and becomes a sort of small boat; I have to admit the Capitol do have some interesting inventions. I secure my backpack on my shoulders and then climb into the boat. I feel slightly strange being in it, but I decide it's better than nothing and begin to move forward, using my small axe as a paddle. When I finally reach the other side where it is, may I add, not raining… I climb out of the boat and press the button again letting it deflate. I stuff it inside my bag deciding it could become useful and I walk into what seems a calm meadow. I find a place deep in the wheat stalks where I am unseen and let myself drift off to sleep after an eventful day.

I guess I was wrong; I can cope without an alliance.

_Chase Sedesky (15), District 8 Male-POV_

Gripping a knife in one hand and Jazzy's hand in the other, I run through the forest section and soon find myself in a Jungle. I pull her through the trees as I keep on running, but she soon tires and wants to stop.

"Please…Chase lets just stop for a second I… I can't breathe!" she leans over and takes deep breaths. I also am panting out of breath but I know we need to carry on.

"Ok… but we need to carry on soon…" she nods and we both lean against a tree. After a few minutes of resting we carry on alternating between running and resting so we don't get too tired.

Once I have decided that we have run quite far into the arena, and judging by the now setting sun, I swerve to the side and go behind a group of berry bushes where I lay sprawled out on the floor. Jazzy inspects the berries and quickly pops one in her mouth. She hands me some and I begin to eat them too, trusting her quick instincts. I put a few in my mouth, savouring the taste.

"We can't live on berries for good you know?" I say laughing.

"I know, I know… we can go hunting tomorrow if you want."

I nod in reply and lay back again resting my head on my hands. I feel my eyes slowly closing when I am sure I can hear the rushing of water. I sit up looking around and see Jazzy is curled up in a ball sleeping. I shuffle over and lightly tap her shoulder, she flinches but once she realises it is me she relaxes.

"Jazzy can you hear that?" I say, putting my fingers to my lips for her to be quiet and listen. She sits still but then shakes her head.

"I can't hear anything…"

I stand up and walk through some trees, following the sound of the water. I soon find myself standing in front of a rushing waterfall. I lean down and cup some in my hands, bringing it towards my lips. I then run back through the trees towards our 'camp' and take Jazzy by the hand to come take a look.

"Wow…" she says staring at the magnificent waterfall. "Is it safe to drink?"

"I just had some, and I feel fine…we could really use a bottle though…"

We both fall to our knees and begin to cup water in our hands and drink it, realising how thirsty we actually are. Soon after, I see something fall from the sky out of the corner of my eye. I walk over to it and bring it back to where we are sitting. As I open it, I see two water canteens inside. I show them to Jazzy who smiles at our first sponsor gift, and we both begin to fill them up.

After we have settled back in our camp, I rest on the ground using some leaves as a pillow and Jazzy lays curled up next to me using my chest as a pillow. It feels nice having the warmth of her body next to me, and knowing that she is still safe. I link my hand with hers and as my eyes begin to drift close, I am glad I have her as my ally.

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

Trekking through the forest section of the arena, I look for a good place to camp. I find a group of tightly packed trees which form sort of a circle. I sit in the middle and lean against a tree, letting out a sigh of relief. I have made it out of the bloodbath alive, even though…even though I took another's life. I don't know what came over me; maybe it was the pressure of not getting killed, or the adrenaline coursing through my body. Either way, I really hope the careers don't know it was me, even when I'm 'not myself', I doubt I could win a fight against them when I'm overly out numbered. I hate this feeling, like I have changed from how I used to be, the boy who would never kill another, knowing the pain that their families would feel from his own experience. I feel the previous events soon tire me, and my eyes begin to close.

I am later awoken by the Capitol anthem. I look up in the sky but it seems that was the signal that something had finished. Great…I missed something already.

Deciding that I can't just sit around and mope, I stand up and begin to walk around the forest, looking for things that I could do, like searching for food… or getting rid of the competition. After killing someone once, I don't think it matters how many more I do kill… does it? I walk through, gripping the blood covered dagger for protection, but I only find some berries and some unusual plants. I lean against a tree for another rest, when I suddenly hear some movement in some bushes near me. I run over expecting to find a tribute, but all I find is a cluster of bushes. I swing my arm angrily at the leaves next to me and they fall to the ground. I do this repeatedly, angry at my optimism. I stab at near by tree trunks, slicing through branches and other plants, but to my own dismay, the blade of my dagger gets stuck in one branch, too thick for its strength, and it becomes detached from the handle. I kick the ground in anger and fall to the floor.

_Great Luka, now you have no weapon, good job. Can't you do anything right?_

I punch the ground and soon regret it at the throbbing of my hand. I grip it tightly, but soon am distracted as I see something fall from the sky. I walk over to it and read the note on top.

Stop acting stupid… now here is a real weapon. Do your job. _Elaine._

I open the container which is attached to a parachute my escort has obviously sent. Inside is some bandage for my injured hand, and then underneath is a large axe with a very sharp blade. I grin at the weapon and grip it in my hand, swinging it through the air to practise with it; I am not used to using one after all. Once I am finished I wrap my hand in the bandage and then pack away the blade of the dagger, deciding it could come in handy. I then take my new weapon and walk off into the night, slightly hoping to be confronted by a career.

That little alliance can't stop me now.

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

I don't know what to do. Is this real? Am I just in some terrible messed up dream? A dream where 23 children have to die so I can live? One of them being Brock…

Why? Why did he do that… why did he save me? We were never that close, yes he was slightly protective of me but I just thought that was district loyalty, not a risk your own life for the other kind of relationship. My head is spinning at the moment, and it doesn't help in the running for your life situation. I can't get my head around it all though… District 11 must be going crazy at the moment, with the whole situation. My family must have been so worried, how did I not even see the spear aimed at me? I need to be more careful from now on, if I want to get home that is.

The only thing that truly worries me at this moment is the thought of the career alliance finding me, or any alliance really. What would happen to me if they did find me? I feel sick just thinking about it, so I shake my head trying to get away these thoughts. It's just strange to think if he hadn't jumped in front of that spear, I would probably be in a coffin right now. And the weirdest part of it all is that I have left the fight unharmed.

I am pulled out of these thoughts as I find myself at the end of the forest, and I push through some branches to find myself in a jungle. I look around carefully, and there doesn't seem to be anyone is sight. I walk down a small path which is really just some dried ground, but I feel it could lead somewhere, seeing as all around it is luscious green grass. I just keep walking, taking in my surroundings and looking to see if I can spot any plants or berries I could eat. I pick a few berries that I know are safe and put them in a pocket of my bag to keep them safe. I finally reach what I think is the end of the path, and I find an amazing waterfall, which falls down in crashing waves of bright blue water. I kneel down and open my pack to find the water bottle I had collected from around the cornucopia. I don't have much more, except for a medical kit, some string, some matches-which all came inside the backpack and a sleeping bag. I guess I did ok, seeing as some tributes must have come away with nothing.

I drink some of the water from the bottle and then re-fill it. I sitting calmly by the waterfall, just watching the water fall, but I am soon distracted by the sound of movement from behind me. I jump up and run into the trees, taking all my supplies with me. I scale a tree nearby, but it is only when I reach a high branch, that I look down and realise that I am above another tributes camp. I gasp realising that the sound I heard must have been whoever camp this is is. I try and look around to see what I could do, but the loud Capitol anthem plays out, averting my gaze to the sky.

The fallen tributes faces begin to show and I know what is coming next. Brock's face, looking the same as always, alone and angry, stares down at me. I stare up at him and all I can do is whisper 'thank you'. I am shocked by the next face as the boy from two appears. That means the careers have lost a member, and they are probably distracted in trying to find the killer instead of finding me. I sigh in relief and lean against the trunk of the tree.

After a little while, the two from eight return to their camp. I had completely forgotten this arising problem and I hold my breath so they don't hear me. I almost feel bad once I see them together, they try to sleep, and she is curled up next to him. This can't be nice for them; they are obviously in love with each other. I can't hurt or even kill one of them, its just wrong in some way at the moment. I decide to leave it and crawl into my sleeping bag to rest; in someway already defeated by one alliance.

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

I run dizzily through what I think is a jungle, I need to find somewhere to rest and where I won't be found. My arm feels numb from the stab wound that little psycho from three gave me. Ok… maybe she isn't a psycho… but I still don't like her anyway. My face is also dripping with blood, it fills my mouth when I try to breathe and I've thrown up a few times because of it. I'd say I'm not in the best state, but at least I am alive.

When I can't move anymore I fall into some vines and to the floor. I sit up and realise I am circled by long vines so I am out of a direct view. I open my back pack and find a medical kit. I use some disinfectant on my arm and face which stings badly and makes me cry out. I then wrap my arm in a bandage to stop it from bleeding and put some plasters on my face to try and stop the bleeding. I know it won't stop bleeding on either injury though, they are pretty bad wounds. This is when I wish I had an ally. They could help me get better, find me food and water so I had a better chance of surviving, and overall help me live another day.

But on the other hand, alliances just cause trouble; they won't work out in the end. If you both protect each other so well that you survive until say the top 3, there is a high chance that you could be in the final two with them, and I think that would be an incredibly tough decision, A- whether to kill your only friend for the past week and go home where it will probably haunt you for the rest of your life, or B- Die. That's literally the only other option. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to have to choose.

I suddenly feel a wave of dizziness fall over me, probably because of the blood loss, and I fall back onto the floor. As I fall into a confused state, I hear the Capitol anthem play, but I am sure I'm not missing anything that would mean too much to me, after all, there is no one here I truly care about.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter, it was basically just a bloodbath continued so you knew how all the tributes were doing, and it was kind of based around the alliances too. I'm afraid that I am not going to be able to update for around a month, because as you know it is Summer, so I am pretty busy and will have no laptop access. The good news is hopefully soon, I will have a new laptop to write on.. so yay!

I am really sorry I can't update for a while, but please don't stop reading the story, I promise that the next update will have some action in it, and there could be one or two killings... so no tributes are safe. I hope you have all enjoyed this story as much as I have, and I am looking forward to writing more of it. So have a good Summer and I look forward to updating!

Thanks!_ -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories_


	32. Full Of Pain, Day 2

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

_I stumble down a long winding path, large stooping trees stand over me almost like intimidating bullies. The edge of my vision is blurred, and all I can see is directly in front of me. Something doesn't feel right, like the sky is just too dark, or the air is just too quiet. I suddenly see a small figure in the distance, and as I near it, the figure gets bigger, and takes the identity of Brock Stern, who is… I mean was my district partner. I feel my throat become dry, and tear begin to fill my eyes. Brock had saved my life, but how can he be standing in front of me? _

"_Brock!" I cry, starting to run towards him. My lungs feel on fire and my body aches, but I keep running, needing to get to him, needing to thank him for saving my life, a debt I will never be able to pay back. It feels like I will never get to him, but when I reach him I gasp, his eyes are blood red and his clothes and skin are covered with a red gooey substance. "B…B…Brock?" I mumble, tears streaming down my face. I can't breathe, and I fall to the floor clutching my small throat. I look up at him, and he stares straight ahead. He is gripping a spear which is lodged into his stomach, and his mouth and eyes are wide open; blood dripping out of both. A little scream gets caught in my throat, and I cover my mouth before it can come out. _

"_Run." Brock says his mouth not even moving. Suddenly echoes begin to sound around me, run, run, run… I look around panicked to see where it is coming from, and surrounding me in a circle, are all the tributes, both dead and alive. The alive glow golden, with gold eyes, lips, skin, hair and clothes; so beautiful it is terrifying, while the dead glow red with bright red eyes, dirt covered skin and hair, clothes that look tattered and worn and are covered in blood… just like Brock. They all slowly walk towards me, the alive looking deadly, and the dead looking… well… dead. They all keep chanting, run, run, run. I hug my knees close, choking on my tears and my body aching. I try to move my limbs but they hurt too much. And where would I go? I'm surrounded after all. I lay on the floor in a ball, the other tributes getting closer and closer. I feel a sudden breath on my neck and I turn my head to see Mercy crouched like an animal staring at me, and behind her are the other careers. She is golden, and her now piercing gold eyes look over me like lasers. She smirks at me and then snarls, revealing razor sharp teeth, something you would see on a ravenous animal. She leans in towards me and in what seems like a mixture of a growl and a whisper says,_

"_You're next Ashley…" _

I jolt up right and nearly fall out of the tree I'm sitting in. My palms are damp and sweat runs in streaks over my forehead. My heart is racing and I pant in what I think is some sort of relief. It was just a dream… all just a dream… but what did it mean? Am I in danger? I mean… of course I am, I'm in the Hunger Games… but still…

I lean slightly over the branch I'm on, and peer down at the ground. The owners of the camp I 'intruded' on still lay silently on the jungle floor. I still feel incredibly bad for them, being in some sort of relationship and in this situation, knowing only one of them can live. I decide I need to get out of here before they see me, or it could end badly; if they each want the other to survive they're not going to let me get away unharmed. I pull the straps of my backpack over my shoulders, tuck my knife in my belt pocket and then begin to quietly climb down the tree keeping a secure grip on the branches not wanting to fall. I reach the floor and take a small jump down and then I run in the opposite direction of the District 8 tributes.

I pick a few berries on the way to nowhere in particular, and begin to eat them slowly, savouring the sweet taste. I should really try to catch and cook a real animal, but I don't want to show myself by lighting a fire. As I walk through the vines and trees of the jungle, I can't help but shudder at my earlier dream. Everyone surrounding me, Mercy's razor sharp teeth, the careers prowling like a lion pack, it's like I am trying to tell myself to stay away from other tributes, to hide, to… run. That's what they kept saying, run, run, run… is that what I should do? Run away from the fights and the danger and just wait for everyone to die before I come out and fight.

I don't know what has happened to me. I thought I was on the edge of confident going into these games, now I'm just plain worried because of a stupid dream. Or maybe it's because of what happened at the Bloodbath. _Brock._ I really can't stop thinking about it. Even when I was asleep I thought about it. I can't help but feel responsible for his death in some way. I know Mercy killed him, but she meant to kill me right? I should have been more careful, I should have watched my back, I should have moved when he told me too. I know I can't change it now, it was the past, but the problem is it could happen in the future. This is what these games are all about right, making you choose between your own life or another. Even though I didn't kill him, it makes me feel like a killer, and I am dreading the point in these games when I will be put in the situation to have to kill somebody. I don't know if I could take the guilt, or seeing the light drift out of their eyes. It would break me I think, I wouldn't be the same little Ashley Blake from District 11; I would be the killer Ashley Blake from the 1st Annual Hunger Games. Others might not think about me like that, but I would, and what you think of yourself is more important than what others think about you.

I pull through another set of vines and come across a cluster of large trees, with canopies of large green leaves hanging above which let the sun shine through. I find it hard to believe how a place filled with such evil can actually look so amazing. I stand in the middle of the trees just staring around to decide where to go. After a few minutes I decide to go to the left, but as I take a step forward, I feel a sharp pain on the back of my head. I lift my hand to the area of pain and when I pull it back I find it covered in red sticky blood. I feel a wave of nausea come over me and I fall to the floor, my backpack cushioning the fall. I suddenly realise something, someone must have hit me… but who? I feel my head again and I start to feel sick. My vision is how it was like in my dream, blurred around the edges.

After a few seconds of confusion, a face comes into view. He has shaggy blonde hair which falls over his face and bright green eyes, which stare at me with what I think is a pained look. I try and focus my vision well enough on him to figure out who he is, and I realise it is the tribute from District 7, Itzel.

"I'm… sorry…" He whispers, before he tightly clamps his large muscular hands around my throat.

I choke and splutter, trying to wriggle out of his grip, but he has me securely pushed to the ground. Tears begin to fill my eyes and sobs get caught in the rapid breaths I am trying to take. I try everything, kicking, punching, but my attempts are weakened by the blood loss from my head and the lack of oxygen being taken to my lungs.

"P…P…Please…" I choke out, but he doesn't hear me, he is too busy trying to kill me.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry…" he keeps mumbling, he obviously doesn't want to do this.

_He's strangling you… do something!_

As I feel myself begin to drift off into another place, I remember something incredibly important, the knife tucked into my belt. I move my hand towards it and slowly pull it out. I then bring it round the back of his body and slam it with all the strength I have left, deep in between his shoulder blades. He cries out and releases the grip on my neck. He starts to fall back, so I quickly pull the knife out of his back. I move onto my knees panting, trying to get as much air as possible into my lungs, and it feels so good to be able to breathe again. I move forward and find Itzel lying on the floor in pain. I bite my lip trying to make a decision, and then I make a move quickly before I can regret my actions. I stab the knife straight through his heart, and I see my worst nightmare, his head rolling back, the light going out in his eyes. I take the knife and throw it into the trees, not wanting to see the disgusting weapon. Just after, a cannon fires, and I suddenly realise it was Itzel's. I cover my mouth in shock, gasping in horrible sobs. I try and wipe away the tears with my hands, but they are covered in blood and just smear red all over my face; which makes me cry in disgust even more.

I'm a killer. A real killer. What I dreaded the most has come true. I feel sick with horror and disgust.

I use all my strength to pull myself into a crawl position, and I start to move across what seems like a miles distance, but is probably only a few steps. My throat feels like someone has lit a thousand matches inside of it, and I resist the urge to just stay where I am. After what feels like an eternity, I find myself in between a group of bright green bushes covered in pink and purple berries. I pick some off and check them over to make sure there not deadly, and then I squeeze the berries so the juice runs down my burning throat. After it cools down, the realisation of the last five minutes hits me like a ton of bricks. I curl into a ball and hug my knees, letting all the pain come out in my tears. I think I've never cried so much in my life, even after Brock died. I can't believe I killed somebody, an innocent boy just like me, who didn't want to kill me, but it was what he had to do.

I'm no longer little Ashley Blake from District 11. I am Ashley Blake the killer from the 1st Annual Hunger Games; and I hate myself for it.

* * *

**The Fallen**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, Distrct 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

* * *

So the games are finally getting started, I have to admit I missed writing the story while I was away for a few weeks. If I am not too busy I might be able to update a few times a week. I got a new laptop for my birthday a few days ago, so there won't be any more problems with my laptop:P I really hope you liked this chapter and please review what you think. I have set up a poll to say who your favourite tribute is, so vote on that if you haven't already. One more thing, after this story, would you want me to make another syot, if so just mention it in your review and would you want it to be a sequel of this story- so the second games, or would you want it to be completely different. I just thought I would ask to see what everyone thinks.

Thanks for reading, _-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories _


	33. They Won't See This Coming, Day 2

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

The sound of a loud cannon makes my eyes snap open in alert. What happened to me? What time is it? Where am I? Questions fill my head and I try to answer them one by one.

I am in fact, in the Hunger Games; a rather unlucky situation if you ask me. I guess a part of me was hoping to wake up in my small but safe family home. I try to sit up, but a wave of dizziness comes over me and I decide to lie back down. I lift my hand to my face and feel the long wound on my cheek. When I pull my hand away it is red with blood, and when I look to the side I see the used plasters on the floor which obviously didn't work very well. Then everything comes flooding back to me.

The fight with Kadence, stumbling into the Jungle with a sliced face and wounded arm. Trying to stay conscious while fixing the wounds; which I obviously didn't do very well, and then collapsing on the floor. What an eventful first day I have had in hell.

I slowly try and sit up again, and this time I do much better. I lean against a nearby tree and begin to clean my wounds again. I look through my backpack and find the medical kit I already knew about, a bottle of water, the wire I picked up, a knife, some matches, a torch and some rope. Overall its basic survival equipment. I use a minimum amount of water to clean both wounds, which leaves half the small bottle left; I'll have to try and find water soon. I then put a clean bandage on my arm and use some more disinfectant on my face to try and heal it. I only have what I've been given to use after all.

After I am in a fit state to get up and move around, I find some plants and berries to curb my hunger. I notice a bright red-orange berry which I remember using at home in potions. I used to call them 'fire berries' because I would mix them with other ingredients for a certain potion, and then when combined with a lit match, the fire would be extraordinary. I only ever tried it once though, and luckily it was outside; I doubt my mother would have been pleased if I had tried it inside the house.

I collect a lot of these berries as they could come in handy, and I also pocket some other berries and plants to eat. I then put on my backpack and hold my knife in my hand, before I set off to find water. I walk at a steady pace; letting my mind relax so I can decide what I am going to do. If I want to win, I need to make a plan to get rid of the competition. So what am I good at? Traps I guess, potions, a small bit of fighting… but I guess I am probably better at letting a trap unfold in front of me while staying very…very far away. I tend to go for the more… extravagant pieces of work if I'm honest. As this runs round my brain, I realise I am standing right in front of a bush of 'fire berries'… What if, I could use my potions, added with loads of traps to make the ultimate trap… well that would be… exciting.

A wave of energy runs through me to start working on the 'ultimate trap', I ditch the idea of finding water and decide to start with a few experiments. I find the different plants and other things I need for the potion, and mix them up on a big leaf I found. I move a few steps away and light a match, and then throw it onto the leaf. Like I expected the leaf bursts into flames, the orange spikes reaching a few metres in the air. It reaches the ends of the leaf but doesn't travel any further; which means it easy to control where I want it to go. I collect some of the big leaves and put them in my backpack, and I also get some of the ingredients I need.

I decide to leave the fire as it is, it's most likely to burn out and extinguish its self. I then head off towards the middle of the Jungle, which is where I have chosen to begin my trap, and I also need to get away from the fire, standing there would just be like shouting "I'm over here, come and kill me!"

After I reach what seems like the centre of the Jungle, I begin to unravel the wire and then wind it round trees so it is a confusion of many lines crossing over each other. I soon use up all the wire, and I bite my lip in deep thought; how am I going to get wire now? Oh wait… what about…

"Hello? People in the sky?" I wave my hands jokingly around up at the sky, trying to get the attention of any willing sponsors and maybe a few laughs too. "If you want this _amazing _plan to work, I will need some more wire…" I carry on looking upwards, but there are no signs that I will be getting a sponsor gift. I shrug my narrow shoulders and crouch on the ground, using my knife to draw out a rough plan. Just as I finish drawing, I see something fall out of the sky. I slowly walk over and pick up the package, turning it over in my hands carefully. I then open it, and sure enough, inside is a large coil of wire. I grin excitedly; it is more than enough. I move in a swift jog, towards the edge of the jungle, and I begin to wrap the wire round the trees on the edge, high enough so no one would walk into it, but low enough so it could be used well. It basically encircles the Jungle, and this takes me almost all the rest of day light to complete. By the end of my quiet building (I had to remember that I could be killed at any moment) I am ready to collapse on the ground in exhaustion. I make the decision to stop for now, hopefully no tributes will realise the trap, and will just casually travel into the Jungle or no one will move from their camps in the night.

Tomorrow, I will collect the final materials I need, and as soon as it becomes dark, I will travel round, placing the 'fire berries potion' around the Jungle. I will then make some more traps to make it interesting and then I will wait till dawn and add the … finishing touches. If it all goes well, this will be a very exciting part of the games. My aim is to kill tributes, but injury's will be just as nice. None of them will see what is coming, and if the gamemakers are smart they will move the tributes towards the Jungle.

They wouldn't want then to miss out on all the fun now, would they?

* * *

Sorry this chapter took a while, I have been having quite a busy summer. I hope you liked it anyway, its just to help understand later chapters.

Thanks for reading, _-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories _


	34. Mutations & Murder, Day 2&3

_Poseidon Hensworth (18), District 4 Male-_ POV

"And Poe, you can take watch tonight…" Mercy says in a high yet powerful voice.

I nod in agreement, there's no point arguing with her, she's too stubborn. I sit on the dirt floor, Micah sat to the right of me doodling on the floor with a small knife, and Mercy pacing back and forth in front of us. Loki is somewhere in the trees; we've all been taking turns seeing what is beyond the trees. We split the circle of the part we are in into corners, and each of us has taken one. Mercy has discovered that one corner is an ice landscape, and Micah found a desert landscape in another. It is now coming to the end of Day 2, the girls looked around this morning, Loki is looking now and I'm supposed to tonight. I have to admit I will be glad to get away for a few hours. After Araluen died, everyone was on a slight edge, constantly watching out for his killer, and then we found out that Aria had left the alliance… without actually telling us. The others were furious, I could tell. They tried to hide it, but they hated the fact they had been betrayed. They looked at me for answers, seeing as Aria and I are district partners and we both joined the alliance together. _'Did she mention leaving? Did you know? Did she tell you anything about it?' _ They all had the same answer; no. It was starting to get incredibly distressing and I keep getting the feeling that I'm not as welcome as I used to be in this alliance. The only one that's been kind of decent is Micah, but then again she hasn't really said anything since Araluen's death.

I rub my eyes tiredly, when did I last sleep? I tried to last night, but I felt uneasy. I thought if I fell asleep one of them would take a dagger and stab it straight in between my shoulder blades. I didn't think these games would make me so nervous; especially when I'm with my own alliance. I decide that a little rest wouldn't be too bad; I need to be wide awake for my adventuring later. I lie my head on a backpack and curl up into a ball, letting my eyes flutter shut.

I wake up to the sound of footsteps nearby. My eyes snap open and I see Loki looking down at me.

"Get up, we're eating and then it's your turn to go."

I grunt in reply and sit up, my body throbbing from sleeping on the hard ground. We've received many sponsor gifts in the past few days, mostly food and water really, but we had enough weapons as it is, so there wasn't any real need for people to send them right now. Micah hands me a warm bowl of rice and beans and I shovel the food into my mouth. It heats my body and makes me feel so much better than I did a few minutes ago. This must be what it feels like to be from a poorer district. I finish my first bowl and then we each take another well needed helping. Once I am done, I drink some water and then head off into the cornucopia to get some supplies for myself for this evening. I pick up an empty backpack and fill it with two bottles of water, some packets of dried food, some matches, a medical kit, and some rope. I know it's a lot, but you never know what could happen. I the put in some small knives and one large dagger, and I also tuck a scythe into my belt and find the only trident that was placed around the cornucopia, which I was extremely happy about finding; seeing as it is my favourite weapon to use. I zip up the now full back pack, secure it on my shoulders and stroll out towards our camp.

"I guess I'll be heading off then…" I announce to the others.

"Ok, your section is there," Loki says, pointing to the right behind me.

"Right then, I'll be back as soon as possible…" I start towards my section.

"Stay safe Poseidon," Micah calls towards me.

"Don't worry, I will…" I reply, as I turn away from the group.

As I reach the end of the forest section, I find myself standing in front of waves of rushing water. I breathe in the salty air, feeling at home. I look from side to side and realise there is no way around the water. I swing the backpack off my shoulders and throw it across easily. It lands safely on the side, and then I throw my trident over and it stabs into the ground, and then I swing my scythe and it lands deep into a nearby tree. I dive in quickly, letting my full body go under and swim across quickly so I am soon pulling myself up onto dry land. I shake the water out of my hair and then collect my things, so I am ready to carry on. I soon discover that I am standing in a meadow, wheat stalks reaching my ribs. On another tribute, it could cover them completely.

I should really head back now, I know what is here and I can easily report back to the others what I have seen, but do I really want to go back? Of course I will go back soon, but it's nice just being away for a little while. It couldn't hurt just going a little further… could it? I let my eagerness take over, so I walk on through the stalks, but all I can see is more wheat stalks. Suddenly, I'm sure I can hear rustling nearby. I swing my head from side to side, but there is no one in sight, or at least that I can see. Now I know why they put the stalks here, it would be pretty hard to find someone, and would take a lot of effort and would bring some excitement to viewers that are watching the chase. I hear the rustling again and I start to move faster, back the way I came. It's starting to get dark; this isn't the best place to be in the night.

I feel a tight grip on my legs and then something or someone pulls them. I lose my balance and fall to the ground, catching myself with my hands. I'm then pulled so I lay on my back, and someone's knees dig into my stomach so I can't move, a blade pinned onto the side of my neck. I wriggle to get them off me but they press the blade closer. I slowly move my gaze to the side and move my head slightly. I take in the appearance of the person in front of me. Beautiful. Long wavy brown hair hanging over their face. Smooth, tanned skin. Familiar bright green eyes, extremely common in District 4.

"Aria?"

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female –POV_

"Poseidon?" I whisper, squinting my eyes at my victim. I slowly move my blade away from his neck, and I move off of him.

Why him? It had to be him that I found didn't it? After leaving the career alliance, killing someone and then making a camp here, all I have done is stalk through the meadow, hoping for someone to find and kill. And what happened? I found absolutely nothing. No-one, not even an animal to kill and pass the time. So after a long wait, I finally found someone. I saw them moving through, not quietly I may add, so I decided to pounce. I took my chance and it worked. But, now I am stuck in an awful situation, seeing as the person that I found is my District partner, part of my old alliance and also once saved my life. Yeah I know, pretty awkward. Maybe if he was just my district partner, I would have just slit his neck and got it over and done with. But something seems terribly wrong with murdering someone who saved my life.

Poe just stares at me in disbelief, blinking rapidly at me. I go to talk but he beats me to it.

"Why did you leave the careers?" He whispers.

"I couldn't stay, I saw my opportunity and took it…, and they weren't too bothered about me being there anyway. They would have most likely murdered me in my sleep…"

"I know what you mean, after you left, they thought I knew where you had gone, and maybe that we were planning something together to kill them, I thought they were all against me too..."

We both sit awkwardly for a few seconds and then he speaks up again.

"So… what do we do now?"

That's a good question, do I stay with him? Or just ditch him and say that it's better off if he goes back to the others and we avoid each other for now. It would be nice having some company for a while though, it has been quiet here and two tributes are better than one.

"Well… you can stay with me if you want… but as soon as there aren't many tributes left we split, do you understand?" I say seriously. He nods at me and smiles.

"Great, I would rather stay here with you than be with the others." I give a small grin back and then tuck my knife back in my belt. We yet again sit in quiet and then it is disturbed by the Capitol anthem. That could mean only one thing, the tributes that have died today. I avert my gaze to the sky, and find myself looking at the face of the District 7 boy; I think his name is Itzel? Weird, I thought he would have lasted longer, I wonder who killed him? It seems he was the only death today, because the Capitol anthem is playing again. Poe looks as puzzled as I am at the death.

"Did the careers kill him?" I ask.

"No… I don't even know who did…" He shrugs and begins to lie down on the floor, resting his head on his bag.

"What are you doing?" I whisper.

"Sleeping? Don't you sleep?" He says laughing.

"Of course…. I just… don't worry…" I join him and rest on my own bag. I really am tired; some sleep wouldn't be too bad…

"Aria! Wake up… Aria!" I hear faint shouting, and I open my eyes. I fell asleep, I shouldn't have… I really shouldn't have.

"What's wrong…? Poe?" I sit up and look around. I get to my feet and peer over the stalks. I can see Poe's head bobbing up and down, his face looks wild and panicked. I grab my throwing knives from the floor and run towards him. I peer through the morning darkness and gasp. Standing in front of him, is a large, angry looking snake. It is covered in green, slimy scales and its mouth is filled with large white fangs which are covered in a black liquid, which looks a bit like oil. It is raised on its tail, equalling itself to Poe's height. I stand in shock but quickly take action and take one of my knifes and throw it at its head. If it was a normal snake, it would have been a great hit and killed it instantly, but this snake is no ordinary snake, it is a Capitol snake, something called a mutation. The Capitol used mutations during the rebellion, and I didn't know they would be used in the games. Their more dangerous, faster, stronger, smarter; they're made to win. So when I threw the knife, the snake already knew what was coming and dodged quickly out of the way. It hisses in anger and bares its fangs at Poe, and then turns to me and hisses again. I throw another knife, but it dodges again and the knife falls into the distance somewhere. I groan in annoyance and decide to get closer. I run towards Poe and squeeze his arm to let him know I'm there.

"We need to run…" he whispers.

"I know, this thing is unnatural…" I look to both sides of me and all seems clear. "On the count of three, run as fast as you can to the left, ok?" He nods and I get myself ready. "3…2…1!"

I run to the right of me, and push through the stalks, my heart pounding wildly. I thought if we both run opposite ways, it wouldn't be able to chase both of us and might get lost. Yes I know, it could go after Poe instead of me, but I don't want him to die, I owe him for saving my life, and it would be terrible if he died because of me. Once I have gone far enough I head in a different direction, hoping to find Poe. I stop after a while, my hair sticks to my head with sweat and my breath is loud and unsteady. I look around for Poe but I can't see him. I hear something near me and I brace myself for the snake, but it is only Poe.

"Are you ok…?" He whispers.

"Yeah I'm fine, do you know where it is?"

"No…Maybe it's…"

"Aria watch out!" He shouts. But I have no time to react, as he jumps towards me and pushes me out the way. I fall to the ground, but I sit up in time, to see those large white fangs snap down deep into his neck.

"Poe!" I scream, as I run towards him as the snake slithers away. I kneel down beside him as he shakes on the floor, his hands grip his neck but they are shaking and can hardly stay still. I move them away and put his arm down carefully beside him. All I can say is it is bad, really bad. His neck has two large bite marks imprinted into the side of his neck. It oozes with blood and also the black substance. I place my hand on top of the wound but quickly move it away, as it burns my hand like fire. The black liquid must be poison, if it hurts my hand, how must it be inside his body.

"It…it burns… h…h…help me…" he cries.

I look around helplessly, all the supplies are far away, and I wouldn't make it back in time. Could he really survive though? The poison is probably coursing through his veins right now; it would kill him, whether fast or slowly.

"Sshh, it's going to be ok…" I run my hands through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. He's shaking worse now, his eyes keep rolling in the back of his head and his body is dripping with sweat.

"It…It's not…I'm…I'm not stupid…" he whispers dryly, "H…h…help…m…me…"

"I can't! The supplies are gone!" I cry, I feel tears stinging my eyes in frustration and I wipe them away furiously.

"You…can…" He slowly lifts his hand, and it falls on the knife in my belt.

"No… no Poe I can't do that, please don't make me do that…" I plead, but I know it would be the kindest thing to do.

"Thanks…f…for e…everything…" he whispers, and he closes his eyes quietly.

"Thank you for saving me…" I whisper, tears fall down my face now, but I don't care now, I really couldn't care. I take the knife from my belt tightly, my hands shaking, and I move it over his heart.

"I'm so sorry…" I whisper, as I plunge the knife deep into his chest. His body flinches, but then it relaxes. I fall onto his body, my own shaking, "thank you…thank you… thank you…" I whisper into chest. His cannon fires and I move away, as if something was going to happen. But nothing did, he just lies there coldly. I get up from the ground and wipe my eyes and dust off my clothes. I start to walk away my body still shaking, this time with anger.

They made me do this… them evil sick creatures made me kill him. He saved me…twice! And I killed him. Anyone else…anyone else would have been fine… but they made it him. I feel my hands curl into fist and I scream at the sky in anger, feeling my face turn red. I storm through the stalks menacingly, just wanting something to take my anger out on. They made me hurt someone I cared about… I need to win this, so I can tell them how much I hate them for being so cruel and disgusting.

I move on, but am stopped by a parachute falling to the ground. I open it up, and read the note inside. _'Do what you're supposed to do.' _ I rip open the package and find a belt, with ten holsters around it, filled with knives, all different sizes. I put the belt on and take a large knife out. I will get my vengeance, I will win this, and I will kill anyone that gets in my way.

I walk forward and find a large snake like the one before slithering towards me. It stand on its tail and nods in the opposite direction, like it is telling me to go somewhere. More slither forward, all standing in a line next to him making a wall, all pointing in the same direction. I walk forward and swing my knife, slicing the head off the first snake. I grin almost scarily and spin on my heels, heading in the direction they are pointing in.

Whatever is there, or whoever is there, they better watch out, because I'm angry, and if anyone gets in my way, all I can say is…

Good luck to them.

* * *

**The Fallen**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, Distrct 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota**

* * *

This was quite an exciting chapter, hope you liked it. Sorry it was late, I've had a busy few days so I haven't had much time for writing. Hopefully it won't be like that all the time, I expect not too much anyway. The story is really starting to get interesting now, so I hope you like this chapter and the ones to come.

Thanks & please review, _-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories _


	35. Running & Relationships, Day 3

_Jazzy Kaede (14), District 8 Female-POV_

It's the third day of the games now. I'm tired, hungry and overall fed up with this whole situation. All I want to do is go home; I miss my parents, my sister… what would she of done if I hadn't of volunteered? I know it's a terrible thought, but I think she would have joined the rest of them poor tributes that died at the beginning. This shouldn't be happening to kids, me included. We should all be living our lives, getting to go to school, making friends, meeting the one we love and growing old together. That's what life should be like, not murdering others and then being close to or being killed yourself.

I pull myself up into a sitting position and look next to me where Chase should be sleeping. And there he is, sleeping soundly like there is nothing going on around him, his shaggy brown hair hangs over his dirt covered forehead, and his chest rises and falls softly. I slowly move my hand to his face and brush his hair out of his eyes. His eyelids flutter open and that smile I adore appears on his face.

"Hey…" I whisper.

"Hey there…" He whispers back, he pulls himself into a sitting position too, leans over to me and kisses me softly. My mouth moves into a small grin and a little giggle bursts out. He pulls back and joins me in laughing. "What's so funny?" he asks.

"I don't know, maybe that I just woke up with my boyfriend in a jungle,"

"So I'm your boyfriend now am I?" he says, raising his right eyebrow comically. I feel my cheeks go red; did I really just call him my boyfriend? Well… I guess he is…I hope he wants to be…

"Um…I just assumed that…" I splutter, but I'm interrupted by another one of his amazing smiles and him wrapping his arms around me.

"Of course I am, I think of you as my girlfriend…" he says.

I let body relax into his, and I can feel his calm heartbeat. He's just so chilled, like nothing could faze him. He's never nervous talking about relationships or love, at least I don't think he is, and he is good at talking to people, I'm ok I guess, I was very believable in my interview in being the nervous little kid. Oh how much fun that was. I'm sure all the other tributes besides Chase think I'm hiding under a rock somewhere praying for everyone to die before me.

"So… what's the plan of action today?" he asks.

That's a very good question. Seeing as we found a water supply on the first day, we decided to stay for a while, seeing as we wouldn't die of thirst and there was plants around we could eat. No-one has really passed by, not that we know of, so we've been relatively unnoticed. It's been a good place for us to camp, but I have a feeling the audience could be getting bored, which means the gamemakers will be bored, and they'll make something … interesting happen. Which is why I think we should at least look around, move to a different location maybe, just to make sure we're what not targets of interest. I know, I know, I think about things a little too much.

"Chase, maybe we should move, see what different places there are…" I look at him for a few seconds waiting for an answer.

"I was going to say the exact same thing," he replies. I let out a sigh of relief and head over to the waterfall and lake. I wash my hair and body, seeing as I am covered in mud and then I fill the bottles up with water so we have enough to drink. I then scavenge some plants and berries and walk back over to our camp. Chase has collected all our supplies up, and is wrapping up a dead bird in a large leaf and putting it in a backpack.

"I saw it just standing there, thought we could cook and eat it if we get hungry."

I nod happily and put my backpack on my shoulders, "Ready?" I ask.

"Ready."

We trek through a range of vines and trees for about an hour. It was, I must admit, very boring. I tried to pass the time with some quiet small talk, but it's hard when you're trying to stay unnoticed, so we just tended to stay quiet. It took us a while, but after only making a few stops, we reach the edge of the Jungle. It's as if the two sides blend in to each other, as the bright green grass we are standing on, slowly turns into golden sand. As I peer into the distance, it seems that it is a desert which stretches quite a while. All of a sudden, I see something moving towards us, I guard my eyes against the sunlight but I can't seem to make out what it is.

"Chase… look over there…" I say, pointing to where I had seen the 'something'… "What is it? I can't see…"

He also covers his eyes slightly to block the sun, and he looks over to where I pointed. His mouth turns into a rounded 'o' and my heartbeat starts to speed up. It's only now I realise how stupid I have been, it could be tributes coming after us! I part my lips to say something but I'm interrupted by some shouting and screaming…

"RUN!" I hear from the distance.

And that's when I noticed the female tribute from nine and the male tribute from six being chased by a monstrous looking tiger. And they were running our way.

_Reina Luckmere (17), District 9 Female-POV_

I'm awoken by movement around me, and I open my eyes to see Kyran rummaging through the medical kit.

"What's up? Is your leg bad again?" I ask. He gives me a defeated look and I move over towards him. "Let me take a look…"

I unravel the bandage and inspect the stab wound on his leg. It has in fact gotten better since yesterday, but it does look slightly infected, maybe some sand got in it, and it must be causing some pain. I take the medical kit from him and look through it. We're almost out of clean bandages, and the disinfectant has run out quickly too. I'm sure I know a few plants I could use which would help the healing, but they would be found in the woods; not the desert.

"Have we got any water?" I say, Kyran takes out the bottle, which has only a little bit of water left inside. Being in the heat all the time makes you very thirsty, luckily we collected two decent sized bottles at the cornucopia, but with the need to clean wounds as well, the water has only just lasted us around two days, nearly three.

"We need more water…" he mutters as I poor most of the water onto his leg and then pass him the bottle for him to finish it. He pushes it away saying I should have it, but I am adamant that he should drink it, I don't need him getting de-hydrated. I clean the wound and it looks even better than before. I take a clean bandage and rip it in half, trying to use as little as possible so we have some left. I wrap it tightly round and tie the ends together in a knot.

"You're right, we need more water, and I need to get some things to make disinfectant for your leg… maybe we should head back towards the forest we came through?"

He judges this for a second and then nods, "We can't stay here forever, and we need more water too, so it sounds good to me." He smiles kindly and squeezes my hand comfortingly. I move into his arms and he holds me tightly. I really wish we could stay like this forever. And I'm not just saying that… I don't want to even think about the future… It's going to be horrible, but we both know what could happen, we just don't talk about it. Kyran isn't his normal self as it is, he's normally joking around and laughing, but I guess it's hard to do that when we're trying to stay alive.

I gather up all our supplies into the one backpack and close it securely. I then take the knife that Jackal threw at Kyran and tuck it into my belt, and give the dagger to Kyran who copies the action. I then crawl out from under the ruins and drag the bag with me, and Kyran follows. I put the bag on my back, wobble slightly from the heaviness, but then readjust, I'm not used to carrying heavy objects, and a few months ago this bag would have probably weighed more than me!

Kyran leans against the side of the ruin and hauls himself up. His face grimaces at the obvious pain in his leg, but as he tries to walk, he wobbles and falls back against it.

"I guess I haven't moved around a lot…" he says as he stands up again and hobbles over to me.

"I know, but your leg needed to rest."

I hook my arm around his back to hold him up, and we begin to move away from our camp. It's in some way ironic, how on the first day Kyran was holding me up and now I am holding him up. We're lucky we have each other I suppose. We move at a slow pace but at least we're moving, and after around an hour passes, I guess by the sun it is just after midday. I start to grow tired, but I keep going, knowing that the longer I move, the quicker we will reach our destination.

"Reina, maybe we should stop for a bit, I can tell you're exhausted," he says, moving me off of him.

"No Kyran, we need to keep going…" I move towards him to hold him up, but I am stopped by a loud growl. I bite my lip so hard that I can taste blood, as I slowly turn around to where I heard the sound. Kyran turns with me and a gasp gets caught in my throat. In front of us is a snarling animal. It has the look of a tiger, standing on all fours, striped fur, but it is completely different in other aspects. It's huge, with paws the size of my head and it has long fangs hanging out of its mouth. Its eyes are blood red, and stare at us _hungrily_. I take hold of Kyran and pull him forward. I move as fast as I can, Kyran limping beside me. I want to run, we need to run, but I don't know if Kyran could do it.

"We need to run Kyran, do you think you can?"

"I'll try…" he replies, his voice slightly shaky.

I release him and grip hold of his hand tightly, and we both begin to run together. He does better than I expected, and we make good distance. I'm sure the animal could have caught us easily, but maybe it doesn't want to kill us yet, maybe it wants us to go somewhere, or to someone… it could be leading us to other tributes, but I would rather fight them than the tiger, I'm sure we would stand a better chance then.

We keep on running, our breaths wild and uncontrolled. I don't know how much further we could go, we might not find shelter for miles. It's only then, that I spot the trees in the distance.

"Look… over there, it … looks like… a jungle" I say taking in more breaths.

"Your right," Kyran replies, limping beside me.

We both must have got a surge of excitement, because it was if a wave of adrenaline kicked in. We both started to move faster and soon enough we were nearing the Jungle, the tiger close behind us. But as we get closer, I realise there are two other tributes standing on the edge of the two landscapes. Their hands are intertwined together, just like Kyran and I's. Then I figure out who it is, the two tributes from eight. I remember how they looked at each other back in the Capitol; you would most likely see them together whatever happened, training, interviews, anywhere. I felt like I could relate to them in some way, seeing as they are in a sort of relationship during the games, and so are Kyran and I. I never really thought about it, but I guess we are. And now we are heading towards them, they will now have to face this animal too. They don't seem to have realised what is happening yet… should I warn them? I would want someone to warn me… but this is a game after all. However, I don't think I could watch one of them lose the other… losing the one they love…

Before I can even stop myself, I take in a deep breath and scream…

"RUN!"

They both look startled, and the boy takes the girls hand and starts to run. I follow with Kyran, hoping they know somewhere to hide and that they won't try to kill us. We all run through the trees, it's all so new to me, and it is almost refreshing, being in a sweltering desert for two days really takes the energy out of you. I push through leaves and vines so Kyran and I can get through easier, but after a while it gets into a mess of confusion. It all looks the same; we could easily be going in circles.

"Kyran, quick lets go this way…"

I tug on his arm and we both spin round, but we both crash into something and fall back. We both let out an annoyed groan, but my eyes widen when I realise it wasn't just us making the noise. I sit up and look in front of me, where the tributes from eight sit staring at us, rubbing the backs of their heads. Then, the boy speaks up,

"Well… this is awkward…"

_Jazzy Kaede (14), District 8 Female-POV_

I sit gripping onto Chase's hand tightly, as we both stare at the other two tributes. Chase is right, this is rather awkward. I exchange looks with the girl from nine, she doesn't really show any signs of injury, but the boy from six, he has a bandage round his leg, and it is stained with blood. A wound which they have obviously tried to heal. Reina obviously sees me looking at him, because she moves over him protectively, like I was about to suddenly pounce at him.

"What do we do now?" Chase whispers to me.

"I don't know… do we fight them?" I reply, confused myself of what we should do.

In this situation, the viewers of the games would obviously expect a full on fight, but do I want that? One, there both older, and even though Kyran is injured, he has a large dagger hooked into his belt, and I wouldn't want to face that. Two, I would feel terrible, they obviously have feelings for each other, you could tell by the way they held hands. They are in the same situation as Chase and I, and when I imagine what it would be like to lose Chase, I would hate to put them feelings on another, and that's what most likely they would feel. Therefore, I am stumped about what we should actually do. I guess we will just have to see what happens.

"I don't want to fight…" Reina whispers, she must have heard what I said, I've never been the best at whispering. Her and Kyran now sit up together, his arm wrapped protectively round her shoulders. "Kyran is injured, as you've already seen…" she looks at me, and I look down guiltily, "He wouldn't be able to fight as well as he could, and anyway, I don't want to hurt you both… your… like us…" She squeezes Kyran's hand and I look at mine and Chases also locked hands.

"I know… I feel the same…" I reply, I look at Chase, but he nods, agreeing with me.

Chase goes to speak, but he is interrupted by a loud Growl nearby.

"We need to go…" Kyran announces more to Reina than anyone.

"I was just about to say, that the animal should be here soon, and that we need to go…" Chase says, Kyran and him exchange respectful nods, like they both agree on the same thing.

"Where do we go?" I ask.

"We could climb a tree… I doubt it could climb? Even if it could, it's so big it would probably break the branches…" Chase says, I shudder at the images of the tiger finding us on the ground, and the idea of being high up seems so much better.

"Kyran can't climb, not with his leg…" Reina says, Kyran looks down ashamed, his face red, either with embarrassment, or frustration.

"I could try?" Kyran adds, but she shakes her head.

"The first branch we would climb on is already high up, it would take a lot of strength, and I know you're strong, but not that strong…" She giggles and he returns a joking smile, flashing his small muscles. It's sweet how he can make her laugh in this tense situation.

"We'll help you," Chase says. I give him a small smile, glad he is happy to help.

Reina stands up and walks over to the nearest tree. Together, Chase and I boost her up onto the first branch with our hands, and she makes it easily. Kyran is next, and he hobbles over towards us and puts his good leg onto our hands. We both boost him up, and Reina grabs onto his arms and pulls him upwards. He lands on the branch safely too and we all sigh in relief. Seeing as the branches would only fit two people, Reina climbs onto a higher thick branch, and again helps Kyran up with her. I jump and swing onto the branch and pull myself up, and Chase does the same. We all climb a little bit higher and finally we are high enough that we are safe, away from the tiger. Just as we make it, we hear the growl again, and the tiger comes into view. It prowls around the tree, looking up at us and snarling.

Kyran explains that it is actually a mutation. It's not a real animal, it is made by the Capitol, altered so it is stronger, or angrier, made to hunt us. Even though it should be trying to get to us, it soon stops prowling and runs off into the distance. We all stare out to where it has run, and it directs our attention to some smoke rising into the air, further away, but still in the jungle.

"I have a feeling… that it wanted us to come to the jungle… it was leading us to something…" Reina whispers.

"Your right… something is going to happen very soon, I can just feel it," Chase replies.

We all keep staring at the smoke, but I decide to break the silence.

"So… when this 'something' happens, do we all split up? Or do we work together?"

Kyran and Reina exchange looks, and then both nod at each other.

"I think we should work together… the four of us would be better together, especially if something was to happen… maybe you could help me find supplies to heal Kyran's leg, if you didn't mind, and in return we could help you… well … survive?"

We all nod, and exchange handshakes in a sort of deal. I like the sound of us working together for now. I couldn't kill one of them right now, and I would rather them not kill us, and if something is to happen, we could have a better chance of surviving… whatever it is.

That mutation wanted us to stay here for a reason; the gamemakers wanted us to stay here for a reason. But our new alliance is strong, and the four of us will survive this.

I know we can.

* * *

Hope you liked this chapter! Just a few quick notes, these recent chapters are all leading up to the 'big plan' if you haven't realised already. If you haven't heard from your tribute or certain tributes recently, don't worry, you will soon. I'm also going to update the poll soon, so you would re-vote, because tributes have died since I have made it, and if you voted for them, you might want to vote for someone else now.

Also, I just thought I would thank everyone who has favourited or followed this story or me as an author. I've been getting a few more recently, and its nice to see more people are reading the story, so thanks:)

Thanks for reading and reviewing, _-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories _


	36. Trust & Terror, Day 3

_Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen (12) District 7 Female-POV_

I'm tired. So, very tired. The last time I slept? I can't remember, that's how long ago it was. Since being in these games, I must have been asleep once. Once. It was when I made it to the meadow; I rested my head and fell asleep easily and I must of slept most of the night through, but I was awoken, by a terrible booming sound. It terrified me, at first I thought it was a gun shot, did they put a gun in the games? Has someone shot me? These questions bounced around my head, and my heart was pounding wildly, then I realised I was being stupid, and that it was only a cannon firing, signalling another death. I had heard this sound earlier, just before the fallen tributes were shown in the sky, including both members of my alliance. Oh how idiotic I felt, and to make it worse, the Capitol probably saw the terror in my face, but then again, they do think I'm a little cry baby twelve year old who bursts into tears when they can't cross some water. That was fun to act out, I have to admit.

So I was fine after the cannon, I walked around the meadow and ate some wheat, and I even found a rabbit which I killed and cooked. It was a productive second day, and I felt confident that I could win this thing. And then, reality hit me. As I lay to spend my second night in the arena, and to get another good night's rest, the Capitol anthem sounds. I had almost forgot, someone had died earlier today, I look up to the sky to see which unfortunate tribute it was, but a gasp got caught in my throat, as my district partner Itzel appears above me. I let out a choked cough and sit up. How can this be? He was strong, brave; I thought he would get far; obviously he got on the wrong end of someone's knife. If he got killed so early in the games, that means anyone could.

And after realising that, I started to actually become worried. That night, I sat up, flinching at a slight sound, gripping my small axe tightly in my hand. I suddenly noticed so many things I didn't before, like anyone could sneak up on me in these tall wheat stalks and there not as safe as I thought, or that it is incredibly quieter at night, which makes me feel on edge like something is going to happen.

Since being here, I have noticed how much the games mess with your head. You can't trust anyone, you always have to watch your back, and you're being watched _all_ the time. I don't know what it would be like if Tess and Oliver were still alive, I might have got some sleep, but then again could I have trusted them to not kill me in my sleep. Tess- Probably, Oliver- I'm not too sure.

Anyway, now I am sitting here, incredibly exhausted, because of all these problems in my head. I don't know what to do next, I've been using my fake weakness to earn myself some water in sponsor gifts, turns out the Capitol do have a little bit of heart somewhere deep inside them. I guess the next step, would be to head to a different part of the arena, but what if a tribute finds me? I used to be so much more confident than this… What has this place done to me, seriously?

I stand up weakly and walk over to an unpicked section of wheat. I eat a few pieces, but soon get sick of the dry, bland taste. I take my small bag; fill it with a few stalks and my filled water bottle. I then take my axe in my hand and begin to walk anywhere but here. Maybe if I get away from here and in a new environment, I could find a good place to stay and feel safer. It's worth the try.

I stroll through the meadow, pushing stalks out of my path and breathing in the morning air. The only death that has occurred recently is the one earlier this morning, but we won't find out who it was till later this evening. I just hope it was one of them careers, the quicker they go the easier it will be for me to win. That's the way it works, every time a tribute dies, the closer you get to victory. Believe me, I don't want to hurt anybody, it's not a good title- 'killer at twelve years old', but I know that at one point I will have to, it's the way the game is played.

After a while of walking, I stop at the edge of the forest I had come through in the beginning. I smile at the familiar place; I know that it circles the centre of the arena, so there must be other places outside of the forest in different areas of the arena. I carry on walking, a faster pace this time, until all of a sudden I hear a crack of a twig or branch nearby. I stop in my tracks and look around but I can't seem to see anyone. I turn to face the meadow but again no-one is near me. I was sure this was true, until I felt someone cover my face and drag me backwards. As everything around me goes dark, the last thing I hear are my own muffled screams.

_Kadence Smith (14), District 3 Female-POV_

I sit inside an igloo shivering, curled up in a tight ball trying to keep warm. My teeth are chattering wildly, and I am shivering from the freezing cold. It's been ok, the past few days, but suddenly the temperature dropped earlier this morning, and I feel like I am covered in ice. If I stay here any longer, I'm going to freeze to death, so I need to get out of here quickly. I collect up my backpack and knife, and crawl out of the igloo. Outside, the wind is blowing wildly, and snow blowing around everywhere, all most dragging me to the side. This explains why it is so cold. I wrap my arm around my body, keep my head down, and begin to move through the storm.

There something strange about this though. How the temperature suddenly dropped so I couldn't stay here anymore, and that the storm is almost pushing me in a certain direction. I have a strong feeling that the gamemakers are leading me somewhere, or to someone. I quickly spin around and try walking against the storm, but my attempt fails and I end up going nowhere. I guess I'll have to risk it, so I carry on the way the storm wants me to go.

To my relief, I finally make it back into the forest section and I feel the sudden heat like I had been put in an oven. I rub my hands together to make them warm again and to lose the numbness and when I am satisfied that I am no longer frozen, I begin to walk through the forest. I decide I like it here, the smell of pine trees and flowers, it feels almost safe. I know it isn't, I'm in the hunger games, but still, it's nice to feel safe for a few seconds.

I carry on strolling through the trees, when suddenly I freeze in fear. A few metres in front of me, is the district 7 female, leant against a tree. I'm not sure whether she's unconscious or dead. I guess if she was dead a cannon would have fired, so I would bet on that she has just been knocked out cold. I peer through the trees, moving closer so I can get a better look. Her hands are tied behind her back, and her feet are also tied together. Who did this to her? Why wouldn't they just kill her? Is the person that did this nearby? Realising that they could be near, I spin round to run away from the scene. I take my first step, but my foot lands on a branch and I slip, falling to the floor, my ankle twisting. Great, I just heeled my wounds from my first fight, and now I have a twisted ankle.

I push myself off the ground and try to limp away, but I feel someone grab the neck line of the jacket I am wearing. They wrap there large muscular arm around my neck and drag me backwards. I struggle and protest, kicking my legs around manically, but I can't free myself, however hard I try. After a few seconds, I am thrown down next to the seven tribute. I roll onto my front and begin to crawl away, but my attacker clamps their foot onto my back, so I yelp and curl into a protective ball. I hear them crouch down behind me, and they grab both my arms and pull them behind my back. My arms burn and feel like they have been ripped from their sockets. Some rope is tied around my wrists tightly, and I suddenly feel the urge to cry, but I won't give whoever it is the satisfaction. I am pulled into a sitting position, and they push me against a tree, but my head it's the trunk hard and I feel incredibly dizzy. I open my eyes slightly to see who it is, and I feel sick at the sight.

Standing in front of me, is a large muscular figure, holding a huge, sharp axe. I open my eyes a bit more, and I realise it is the district 10 male, Luka. He realises I am looking at him, and he stares at me, smirking evilly. I gulp down my fear, and open my eyes fully, staring him down.

"Why didn't you just get it over with and kill us?" I whisper.

He looks crazy, like the games have already broken him, smashed him into tiny little pieces. He narrows his eyes, and he grins again, this time showing his teeth.

"Oh… but where's the fun in that?"

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

I smile at the district 3 girl, the petrified look on her face shows that she is terrified by the situation. She's trying to cover up the fear, but its showing through the cracks of her hard exterior.

You must be wondering, what's happening here? Well, I only thought of it quite recently. First, I was just wondering through the forest when I saw Iliad, the district 7 girl. She was so oblivious to what was around her, so when her back was turned, I made her… 'Fall to sleep'. She looked like she needed it to; her eyes were so dark and tired. I then decided, why kill her straight away, when I could entertain the_ wonderful _Capitol. So I used some rope I had gained from sponsors, and tied up her arms and legs so she couldn't get away. I hadn't really planned for anyone else to join the party, but then Kadence appeared in the trees, so I thought why not add another. I only had enough rope for her arms, but she seemed to have hurt her ankle anyway so she couldn't have gotten very far.

I don't really know what has made me do this. The arena has made me go incredibly crazy. I hear things around me and no-one is there, I think I see things but there is nothing there. I keep telling myself that, but every time I go running after nothing. I feel like I'm worse than what I was like in the Capitol. Even now, Kadence looks at me like I've lost my mind. But is that really bad? I want to win this, but would it be too bad if I couldn't remember anything I had done? It seems good if you ask me.

I look at the two tributes in front of me, and realise Iliad has decided to join us. She and Kadence both look at each other worriedly, whispering to each other, probably telling one another their final words, but I just keep smirking.

"You didn't really answer my question" Kadence says.

"I don't have too, do I?" I reply.

"If you had any heart, you'd at least tell us."

"But who said I had a heart?"

"You must have family who you love…."

I look at her, my heart pounding wildly. No, I don't have family anymore, I did love them, but they are no longer around. All I have is Claude. God, what must he think of me right now? They must be broadcasting this moment; it's probably a tense part of the games. Would Claude think I'm smart… or just a plain murderer? I have got logic into this, if I cause a bit of drama in the games now, the gamemakers won't bother me too much, and won't make me run into any tributes unexpectedly, at least I have the upper hand here.

"No… I don't have family anymore, I have one family member, and that is all…"

"But you must love them?" She raises an eyebrow cockily at me.

I walk closer to her, crouching down so my nose is almost touching hers. "I don't have to answer to you…" I snarl.

"You're just a coward… that's what you are…."

"And how is that?"

"You have caught us off guard, tied us up… you won't even let us fight back… you are a cowards."

"No…I'm not…" I feel anger bubble through me. It feels like how I normally do, before I get really angry. Like in training, when I had an outburst with that training instructor. Wow, that seems months ago, it wasn't even a week.

"Coward…"

"Be quiet…"

"Coward… coward… coward…" she says in a sing-song voice.

"Say it one more time… watch what happens…" I lean towards her and she stares me down.

"Coward," She whispers.

I feel my body tense up, and the axe in my hand become heavy. I stand up and shout at the sky angrily. I raise my axe above my head, and bring it down hard, against her neck. Her eyes grow wide, and she tries to move her hand to her neck but they are still tied behind her back. She rolls onto her side and coughs and splutters, but then she just stops. A cannon fires and I loosen my grip on the axe. It was a quick death, she was lucky.

But if she hadn't of angered me, maybe she would have lived a bit longer.

_Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen (12), District 7 Female-POV_

My head is pounding; my heart is racing, what happened to me? I try to open my eyes, but the bright light stings them, so instead I try to feel around me, but my hands can't move. Something is restricting them… and wait… my legs are like it too. I start to panic, my throat becomes dry, and my eyes start to sting with tears, I feel lost, helpless. I finally snap open my eyes and look around. In front of me is Luka, the male from district 10; to the left of me is Kadence, the girl from district 3. Her arms are also tied up behind her back, and she looks at me with the same fear I have. Luka turns away, and I shuffle a tiny bit closer to Kadence, so we are in hearing distance.

"What is happening?" I whisper.

"I don't know, but it's not going to end well for us if we don't get out of here soon…"

I think about what she said for a second, how are we going to get out? I think we should work together, help each other, but she doesn't look like she has any weapons and neither do… wait… I did. I feel around behind me, trying to find what I am looking for. Suddenly, something sharp scratches me and I wince, but then I smile at the fact I have found my axe. And I bet people laughed when they saw my puny axe. I lean back over to Kadence, and try to whisper even quieter.

"Listen, I can get us out of here, distract Luka and I can cut us out of the rope, can you do that?" She smiles and nods confidently, and begins to talk to Luka.

I start to work on the ropes on my hands, moving the blade of the axe across the rope. It seems to be wrapped a few times round. I feel one line move, and then they all fall off quickly. He must not have studied rope tying too much in training. I keep my hands behind my back, not letting Luka see my free arms. I even show a bit of struggling, just to put him off the whole idea. I look at the other two, and see he is furious with Kadence, completely distracted, his face inches from hers, bright red and angry. I take my chance and lean forwards, trying to cut the ropes off my ankles. My forehead begins to become damp with sweat, but I keep going, knowing it's my only chance to stay alive. Finally the rope breaks, and I move my legs around slightly, so I am able to run when I have my chance. Now I need to get Kadence out, I move my eyes over, to see Luka is really, really angry now.

Before I can even talk to him to avert his attention, he swings his axe at Kadence and it slams deep into her neck. I instantly feel tears spring to my eyes; I didn't help her in time, she trusted me to help her, it's my fault she died. We hardly knew each other, and yet she rested her whole survival on me, and I let her down, and it hurts to think about that. Luka is completely not paying attention to me now, he probably doesn't even remember I am here; he is too busy watch Kadence spluttering on the ground.

Before I can stop myself, I dive onto my feet and sprint into a mix of trees, which are so close together, that only someone my size could run through them. I hear Kadence's cannon fire, but I keep moving, my legs aching from I don't know how many hours of my legs being tied together. I hear in the distance behind me, Luka shouting to me, his pounding feet, and I can almost hear his axe hitting the trees, but maybe I'm imagining that. I'm much faster than him though, and I'm sure I have lost him.

I soon find myself running into a brightly coloured Jungle. It's warmer here, and it smells of berries and wild flowers. I keep on moving, and I soon find a cave like structure, made of big rocks and branches from trees. I crawl in side, and I feel a hundred times safer. I fall to the floor and let my body relax; I didn't realise how far I had actually run, or how tired I actually am. I curl in a protective ball on the ground and squeeze my eyes shut, determined to get some rest.

I need to be ready for anything; something like what happened with Luka can't happen again.

I'll make sure of it.

* * *

**The Fallen**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

* * *

Sorry that this chapter was late, I've been busy seeing as its the last few days of Summer. I might be a bit longer updating next time as well because I will be back at school, so yeah.

I'm trying to let you hear from all the tributes now, to let you know how they are. These 'Day 3' chapters are basically to hear from them all, but its also to show them all being led to Annalisa's trap, if you haven't realised that already. Also, sorry if 'your tribute' dies, its what happens in these games, you should all know that. Check out the poll too, I'm going to re-make it, so you can all vote again, it will help me decide who might go next.

Thanks for reading, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	37. Fear & Falling, Day 3

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

I stumble out of the cornucopia, my eyes heavy from my previous sleep, and my body aching from the uncomfortable floor. It's morning, maybe around ten o'clock, nothing serious could of happened, because the others would of woke me. I look around and spot Loki and Micah sat opposite each other, a small fire in between them. I shuffle over and sit down next to Micah. They both eat some cooked bird which one of them must have caught, and Loki hands me some.

"You look… terrible…" He says, laughing to himself. Micah joins in and I scowl at the both of them.

"I'm sorry… my stylist couldn't be here to make me look good…" I roll my eyes sarcastically and he just sniggers.

I consciously run my hands through my knotting blonde hair and drag it up into a ponytail out of my face. I take some water and splash it on my dirty face and arms, trying to make myself a bit cleaner. I've hardly ventured anywhere, but somehow I feel like I've rolled in a pool of mud… twice. Once I'm a little less disgusting, I walk back over to the others, but they both are pacing around tensely.

"What's wrong?" I ask, starting to worry myself.

"Micah said she heard a cannon fire when she was on watch, but she forgot, thought nothing of it… but Poe hasn't come back yet and…" Loki says in what I think is a rush of panic.

"And nothing… Poe is fine, he can take care of himself, I'm sure he'll be back in no time, he probably saw a rabbit and decided to chase after it for food… we need more anyway," I turn away from them both and sit back down by the fire, serving myself some more food. "So, what shall we do today?" I mumble, swallowing down a spoonful.

"I don't think we should be thinking about that yet, I'm really worried about Poe, what if he's hurt or something…" Micah mumbles.

"It's not that I'm worried about," Loki starts, "If it … if it was Poe's cannon, then it means someone killed him… someone killed another career, there might be someone aiming to kill us all, watching us right now,"

"And? There's three of us, probably one of them… and who said it was a someone, maybe it was a something?" I reply.

"Shouldn't we be even more worried then, if it's a 'something', we wouldn't know anything about it, we'd be half blind against it…" Micah says. God she's so negative, can't she just not worry for one minute.

I just roll my eyes and walk into the cornucopia. They both follow me and I spin round fast to talk.

"Listen, I agree we need to find out what's going on, so we'll wait for a little while, just in case Poe returns, if he's not back in an hour, we grab our stuff and we leave the cornucopia, head out through the trees and find out what's going on, ok?"

They both nod and join me to pack all our stuff up. We take a bag each and fill up each one with what we would need individually, in case we were to split up. I put in all the essentials, food, water, matches and so on. I finish quickly, knowing exactly what I need, and I put my bag in the corner so I know where it is if I need it.

And like I expected, and hour later, I head back in the cornucopia to collect it. The others do the same, and then we all head into the trees to find our ally.

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

Sit across from Flair, in a high tree in the woods. Because we're so small, we can both fit in a cradle shaped branch which is both comfortable and safe. We haven't really moved from here for the past 3 days, if you don't count going to find food, which we have done only a few times a day. I don't know if Flair feels the same, but I almost don't want to leave the tree, I don't know what's going to be down there. We already had a slight run in with Luka, but as crazy as he might be, I think if he did see us, he wouldn't of harmed us, or me at least, actually I'm not sure to be honest, who knows what goes on it that mad head of his.

I rummage through my backpack and find some berries that I found. I offer some to Flair but she shakes her head, so I start eating them one by one myself.

"What do you want to do today?" I ask her.

"I'd like to go home but that's not going to happen…" she says, I'm not sure whether she's joking but I give her a small smile anyway. "Is staying in the tree an option?"

"I don't know…" I begin; "I think we need to do something, or the gamemakers are going to get bored with us… if you know what I'm getting at…" she nods, considering going somewhere else.

"Ok, maybe we should go somewhere else, but first we need to collect some food, we still have water from them sponsors, but there's not much else,"

I agree, and we both take are bags and climb down from the tree. We wander through, picking off different leaves and berries, making sure their safe of course. I even find a large squirrel, which I catch with my rope and kill, and then I wrap it up in some leaves so we can cook it later. Once we've both collected a fair amount we head back towards the tree, but I stop in my tracks when I think I can hear something.

"Flair… did you hear that noise…"

"Yep… what do you think it was?"

"I don't know, but I think we better get back in the tree before whatever it is finds us."

We both begin to run towards our tree, and once I finally spot the familiar branch we sat on, I boost Flair up onto the first branch and she begins to climb. She's gotten better since we first started climbing the tree; I could tell she might have climbed before, but nothing as big as this. Once she's gotten kind of high up, I boost myself up and begin to climb. It's only when I get around halfway, I hear some oh too familiar voices that I wish I had imagined.

"And look what we've got here guys… fresh tributes…" I look down towards the ground where Mercy, the District 1 female stands, grinning like she just one an award or unlimited money or something.

I crane my head a bit further, and see the District 2 female Micah, standing next to her, she's half grinning, but her eyebrows are furrowed in concentration, like she's not sure what to do. And then there's Loki next to her, he looks… he looks sad, worried, nothing like he normally does. Something happened at the bloodbath though, I'm not too sure but … but I think he saved my life. Could be me just imagining things, but there is something inside me saying that he wants me to live, God knows why.

I look up and see Flair looking down at me, her eyes wide in fear. I nod my head upwards, signalling for her to carry on. She looks at me still and I mouth 'Go!' to her, and she turns around and carries on. I begin to climb to, but I keep talking, I need to distract the careers if I want to live. Wait… where's the other one… the male from 4… and didn't they have the girl from 4 too? I know the male from 2 died, but where are the others?

"Where's the guy from 4?" I ask, stills scaling the tree, "He ditch you as well as his district partner?"

I swear I can almost hear one of them snarl, probably Mercy, and then I hear something whizz near my head, but I let myself drop so I hold onto another branch. I hear a gasp from below, and my arms ache badly, but it's better than having a knife sticking out of my head. I breathe out steadily and start to climb again; maybe talking to them isn't the best idea. I climb faster, looking up every so often to see where Flair is, but my body is aching, and seeing as I can't hear what the careers are saying, I have reason to be worried. I reach Flair, hunched up on a branch, and I crouch down opposite her.

"What are we going to do?" I whisper.

"We're trapped… we can't go back down there…" she looks down below and shudders at something, but I'm too worried to see what.

"We could jump to another tree…" I suggest, not really positive I could even make it myself.

"No… that's too dangerous, we'll just have to wait it out…"

I look down and shudder myself, at the sight of all the weapons below. Mercy holds a range of knives; Micah has a large dagger in her belt and has a tight grip on a bow and arrow. I begin to stand up, when I see her draw an arrow in the string as if she is about to fire.

"Flair… we need to move… now!"

I pull her up to stand as Micah releases the arrow. It soars through the air and I jump to the side, as it flies right by me, and into Flair's chest. I let out a loud scream and move towards her. She is screaming too, and she begins to shuffle in panic, but she slips and falls back.

"Flair!" I scream, as she falls through the air. It's like everything is in slow motion. I'm screaming, she's screaming, but I can't do anything, it's too late.

Suddenly, I hear a loud thump, and then a crack. Tears are streaming down my face, as I look down at her mangled, broken body. I scream louder and louder, not caring who hears me. A cannon fires, and I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand. It can't be true, none of this is true… she can't have died; she's left me by myself, alone. I'm next; they're going to get me next. There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I feel my stomach knot, and a burning liquid comes up my throat, and I throw up over the side. I keep on sobbing, but then I realise I haven't heard the career's. I peer over again to see what is happening, Micah is on the ground, Loki pinning her to the floor. Mercy, is tugging on his shoulders trying to make him move, screaming in protest. She finally gets him off of her, and he looks up at me. His face is red with anger, not at me… but at Micah. What's he saying? Something like… you could of killed her… but she did kill her… unless he meant…

I lean over the side more to see better, but I lose my balance and I begin to fall. I scream and scream, moving my body, trying to find a branch to hang on to. Now I know how Flair felt, it's like… like you can't breathe, like you know what's going to happen, how you're going to hit the ground, and everything is going to be over. You can hear screaming, shouting, but you can't do anything but scream yourself. I close my eyes, and breathe slowly. This is the end now… no-one can hurt me anymore, I'll be safe, I'll go where Flair has gone, and we'll be in peace. I let myself drift into another place, waiting for the impact of the ground. But I never feel it; I feel warmth, protection, safeness. I feel myself moving against the wind, wrapped in strong, but familiar arms.

I slowly open my eyes, where I see the face, of the person who saved my life.

**The Fallen**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

* * *

First of all... I am sosososososo sorry I haven't posted. I've been back at school, and I've been quite busy, cause I've been joining new clubs etc. I'm going to try and get back to posting once a week, but I'm sorry if it takes a bit longer, I've just been really busy.

Anywaysss... I hope you liked this chapter, its all coming together now, and its going to get exciting very soon.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, it means a lot, and also I have set up a new poll so you can vote for your favourite tribute, so do that too!

Thanks for reading, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	38. Day 3-4, Unexpected

_Loki Braveheart (18), District 1 Male-POV_

I march through the trees, trying to keep up a fast pace, but ultimately struggling. In my arms lies Savannah, her body limp and lifeless. I know she's alive, I can see her breathing, but the impact of the fall must have knocked all the remaining energy out of her, because she hasn't stirred one bit. That's mainly the reason I am struggling to move fast, trying to run while carrying a boy is incredibly difficult.

I glance down at Savannah; her long hair falls down in sun streaked waves. Right now, is the most beautiful she has looked since I have known her. So peaceful, so calm, like nothing is affecting her, like she isn't in this horrible situation. I keep moving through the woods, it's becoming dark, the artificial sun setting in the distance. I soon find myself pushing through some long green vines, which almost look like drapes. I finally get through and look around. We are in a jungle, greens and browns fill my eyes in a blur of colour. I direct my attention to the space ahead of me, and continue through until I am deep enough into the jungle that no-one would know which way to go to find me. I wouldn't even be able to find my way back, that's how much I haven't paid attention to where I've been going.

I lay Savannah down on a patch of grass and prop up her head with some leaves. I really don't want to leave her, so it's lucky I have a few supplies in my backpack which I took with me. I open it up and find one of the two bottles of water I brought with me. I pour some in my hands and splash it on her face. She moves her head a bit, groaning at the obvious shock of the water. I wait for a few seconds until I see her eyelids flutter. All of a sudden, her eyes snap open in wide circles. Before I can even reassure her that everything's alright, she screams loudly, and then kicks me square in the chest. I fall back on the floor, trying to catch my breath. She jumps forward on top of me, elbowing me in the stomach.

"What's your plan huh? You trapping me so the others can come kill me? Or are you going to do the job yourself? Because there's no other explanation for what's happened…" She stares menacingly down at me, and there's a new sort of strength I've never seen before.

I grab her by the shoulders and swing her to the side, my strength overpowering hers. I pin her down and stare directly into her eyes, she looks half scared, and half annoyed. She kicks and screams but I quick cover her mouth to quiet her.

"Sshh… do you want to be found? Do you?" she shakes her head and I slowly move my hand away. "Do you really not know why I saved you? I saved you because… because I like you okay? There… you know now…"

I move off of her, and sit a few steps away. She sits up and stares in disbelief, not knowing what to say to my recent statement obviously. I look down at the ground awkwardly, and when I look back, she's moved over towards me. She slowly moves her hand towards me and places it in mine. She shyly looks up at me and gives me a small smile.

"Thank you… for saving me… I don't know why I freaked out just then, I guess I was confused, it's not every day you find out someone who you thoughts aim was trying to kill you has actually secretly liked you…"

I look at her for a while and then finally I smile back, "Its ok… and just to let you know, I've never wanted to kill you… ever since training…"

"When I nearly drowned… I must have looked so stupid, and that's when you liked me? I never even knew… I mean I saw you looking at me a few times but I thought you wanted to kill me! God I'm really bad at this stuff…" She lets out a giggle and I join in the quiet laughing.

"Oh no… Flair… she… " she looks up at me, but I just look away.

"I'm sorry Savannah… I knew you two were friends…"

"No… it's ok… I guess I knew it was probably going to happen at one point, one of us would have to have died in the end…" I see a tear roll down her cheek and she sniffles quietly. My stomach suddenly turns, one of us would have to have died in the end, that's what she said, has she realised it's the same with us?

"What about the others… your alliance…"

"It's confusing… before, I got angry at Micah, you must have seen that… I needed to protect you, she could have killed you! After I saved you, I ran as fast as I could, Mercy and Micah just stood in shock, and by the time they came after us, we were too far ahead for them to catch up… I doubt they even know which way we went…"

"They might find us though… if they saw the direction we went in, it could be soon, very soon…"

"So what do you suggest we do?" I ask.

"Keep moving… just keep moving…"

"And you think we'll be able to out run them?"

"I think we can do a good job trying…" She releases my hand and stands up, looking around. "I think we should rest for a few hours first, do you think you could climb that tree?" She points up above us, and the safest branch looks quite high, she must be over falling to her death because any sane person would never climb another tree again. I nod in reply, and she starts to climb first and I follow on. I can see she is shaking slightly, and her breathing is heavy, I guess she is a bit nervous after all. Once we reach the branch, I get comfortable, leaning against the trunk, and she lies next to me, up against my body for warmth. I wrap my arm around her and start to close my eyes.

"Isn't it weird how things change so quickly here?" she whispers.

"Yeah, you've got that right…" I say sleepily, "So… about my… um… confession earlier… do you…"

"Do I like you back?" she says innocently. She sits up and stares into my eyes, taking my face in her hands, and leans in towards me. She softly presses her lips against mine, and after a few seconds she pulls away, "What do you think?"

She lies back down next to me and rests her head on my chest, and I let myself relax too, and we fall calmly asleep together.

"Loki wake up… something is happening wake up!" Savannah shakes me and I sit up quickly.

"What's happening are you ok?"

I look at her and she seems fine, but her eyes are ringed with dark circles and she looks panicked. I look around and realise it is morning, but there seems to be an extra glow in the sky, and it is incredibly hot. I then see the dark clouds in the sky, but it's sunny… why are there dark clouds? Wait… there smoke clouds… I look round and see the bright orange flames rising above, storming its way through the trees. I automatically grab my backpack and throw it to the floor, and swing my legs over the side of the branch.

"We need to move… now!"

I begin to climb down, and Savannah copies the action. We both make it to the floor and I grab my backpack and pull it on my back. I take Savannah tightly by the hand and pull her forward and together we both begin to run.

The fire seems to speed up, chasing us like a rabid animal. We try and stay away from it, but it's like it wants to kill us. I hear a sudden sizzle, and before I can think I push savannah to the side and I move the other way, just as a fire ball makes its way in our direction. Smoke fills the air and I start to cough, but all I care about is if Savannah was ok. She stands opposite me with just a singed jacket. She takes it off and throws it to the floor, and then I take hold of her hand again and we carry on running.

All of a sudden, we find ourselves stumbling into a large open space. There are no trees, just a plain area of grass. In the middle of the area is a pile of plants, and other objects which I can't figure out. I look around and notice that it is not just us, opposite stands Mercy and Micah, they both hold their weapons in protection, but they are worn out, panting out of breath, and you can tell they have also been chased down probably by fire, as Mercy's normally perfect hair is singed at the ends. She looks up and stares at me, and then at Savannah, and she grits her teeth, in fury.

A few metres away stands another alliance, the two from eight hold hands staring around in disbelief, and they seem to be with another couple, the boy from six and the girl from nine. The girl holds him up and you can tell he is in pain. His leg is bandaged, and if it wasn't for his leg being injured, I bet he would have been fine by himself.

Just entering now, is the girl from eleven, she looks so small, but she is unharmed. She stares in front of her, and she looks dead inside, like she has seen things the past few days that a girl of her age shouldn't. Another one who has run in is the district seven girl, Lili? Yeah I think that's her name. She stares down someone across from her, and when I look, it's the district ten male. She and the maniac must have past issues, because right now she looks like she wants to kill him, and vice versa.

And last to join us, is my old ally Aria. She looks different, still deadly, but she seems broken in a way. She looks around and catches my eye, but she quickly looks away, like she is almost ashamed of something.

So here we are, all twelve of us… but were missing someone… isn't the girl from twelve still alive? Why isn't she here?

"What's going on?" I shout so everyone can here. Everyone stops their own conversations and looks at me. To be honest, I'm surprised no-one's been killed already since we've been here, but maybe everyone is trying to figure out what's going on before any murdering happens.

And before anyone can answer me, we all hear a sharp sound in the air. Savannah spots it first, and points up above us, where a flaming arrow flies over us and lands in the pit of objects in the middle field. I begin to move backwards dragging Savannah with me, as the it explodes in fire and smoke, and the impact of the explosion forces us to the ground. A bit of metal scratches the top of my arm, and I wince at the sharp pain.

Deep in the midst of the trauma, I try to look for Savannah. I can hear shouting, different names being called, but I can't see through all the smoke. All of a sudden I see her, she looks at me with relief, and her head bleeds where she must have been hit, but other than that she looks fine. I begin to move towards her, and she starts to move towards me, but then everything falls apart. I see arms reach for her, and they drag her back into the darkness. I run towards them, but I can't see where they have gone.

I scream out, "Savannah? Answer me please!" but she doesn't. I stare round at the chaos around me, and I know I need to find her soon, before it's too late. I need to find her, whether she is with the person who took her or not.

Whoever has made this trap has caused more problems for us than anyone must have expected.

And I think in some way they knew that.

* * *

Hey there;) I am so sorry I havent updated for a few weeks, and to the person who made that rude review, I have got a life you know, and I try to post as much as possible, ok? Anyway, to my amazing readers, thank you for waiting patiently and I hope you liked this chapter. I quite enoyed writing it, and I have a feeling im going to love writing the next one cause there could be some more action, so again it could take me a bit longer, but its because I want it to be great:)

Another point I quickly want to say, is that the lovely Wisteria22 came up with a great idea, which I am definately going to use in the story. I am not going to say what is going to happen, but here is the idea. So basically, in the story, I want to add letters from the tributes families, to be sent to them. If your tribute is still in the games, and they survive the next few chapters, then it would be great if you would write a short letter from a family member to them, saying some support and advice. If you don't mind doing this for me, then please just message me saying so, and if you don't want to, then thats fine and I will sort something out, but please message me to saying that. This is literally only if your tribute survives, but just so I know if everything is going to work out, I need to know if you are willing to write (It will only be like a paragraph as the letter). Sorry if it sounds complicated, and if you need me to explain better just ask:)

So thanks for reading and reviewing, you've all been amazing:)

-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	39. Day 4, The Trap, Left Alone

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

I stand facing the tributes around me. I can feel the evil stares I am receiving from my old alliance, _especially_ Mercy. None of them know about Poe yet, it hasn't even crossed their minds… god how insensitive can you get. I mean not everyone is here anyway, the girl from twelve isn't here, unless she died too but I don't remember a cannon sounding for her. Even though it is early hours of the day, a fallen tributes announcement has yet to been played for yesterday, I think there was about three cannons to fire, Poe's, I think the girl from three as I can't see her here, and the girl from five. Which means, if the girl from twelve doesn't show up, I would guess that she has something to do with us meeting up here, even if she had a bit of the gamemakers help. Another thing I thought about is why have there been no cannons? Are more deaths expected soon? I'm telling you now I won't be one of them. Loki speaks up, but I'm not even sure what he said… wait… is he holding someone's hand? I squint my eyes and I realise it is the ten girl, wow… a lot has happened since I last saw them Loki isn't even part of the alliance anymore, look how great it is after all.

Suddenly, everything starts to happen, incredibly fast. An arrow flies through the air; landing in a pile of what I thought was just old junk. Smoke starts to flood the air, and flames begin to spread towards us. I quickly spring into action, spinning on the balls of my feet and running straight in the opposite direction. I push my way through the long vines, trying not to trip over any hidden branches and keeping at a fast speed. I hear shouting from behind me, most likely broken up alliances trying to find each other. This is exactly what the person who did this wanted… absolute chaos. Broken alliances, maybe a few deaths here and there, or even just some terrible injuries, anything to make this little game more exciting. Honestly, I can't wait for it all to be over and to get back to the Capitol once I've won this.

I soon find myself in another open area of grass, this one empty though. Where have all these spaces even come from? Before it was a tightly packed jungle and now it's got big fields inside it, strange how the gamemakers can change it. I stop for a second to rest, catching my breath so I don't tire out easily. It's only when I think I am far away from any other tributes that I hear voices close by. I act fast, jumping to my feet and swinging myself up onto a nearby branch. I start to climb and sit down on a sturdy branch which is high enough so no-one can see me, but I can still hear clearly what they are saying. I sit waiting, listening carefully for the sound of footsteps, and soon enough I hear them.

I peer through the draped branches and leaves, and I see the first two come into the clearing, which is both tributes from eight. They seemed to have had something going on back in training, and obviously there still is something or they wouldn't be together right now. After them is the boy from six, being propped up by the girl from 9, by the way he is looking at her I'm guessing something is going on with them too, well… there's a lot of love going on in the arena right now… maybe I should… break some hearts.

With an easy boost with my arms, I jump to the floor and land softly. I slowly stroll over to the little alliance and make myself noticed.

"Aw… look at the little loved up alliance… isn't it a shame you were put into this horrible situation," I give them a sarcastic smile, continuing to walk towards them.

"What do you want?" The boy from eight asks, Chase I think his name is.

"I don't know really… know anything about what just happened?"

They all shake their heads, Chase and his district partner stand close together, while the other two are on the floor, the girl wrapping up the boys leg. I direct my attention back to the ones I am talking to, giving them my best evil smile.

"So what do you suppose happens now?" I say.

They both just stand silently, not answering.

"Answer me!" I shout, I move my hands towards the belt of knives which I recently got as a sponsor gift, and take out a fairly large knife. "So, which one of your stupid alliance wants to fight me first?"

And surprisingly the girl speaks, "Stupid alliance? At least I have an alliance; at least I'm still with my district partner for that matter! I doubt you even know where yours is…" She must have seen my facial expression, because she stops talking.

And she's going to wish she hadn't spoken at all.

_Chase Sedesky (15), District 8 Male-POV _

Smoke fills the air as I grip hold even tighter to Jazzy's hand. Her touch is ice cold, and I can feel her shaking. I squeeze it reassuringly as I pull her after me, as I run away from the flames. I stumble out of the smoke choking on the fresh air, and Jazzy follows. I look around and see Reina and Kyran also moving away. We run over to them and I help Reina hold Kyran up. It would really help if his leg would get better soon, but right now I will help him if that's what my ally needs. The four of us all walk on at a quick speed together to get away from the mess behind us.

We soon find ourselves walking into a new clearing which I haven't seen before, but it's quite similar to the one we were just in. We walk through to around the middle where Reina and Kyran sit down so Reina can change his bandage. When I finally think were safe for a few minutes, I see Aria from district four walking towards us. I look around for somewhere we could run, but that would mean leaving some of our alliance behind, and she could probably hit me with a knife from that distance. So I stand slightly in front of Jazzy, and wait for whatever she is going to do.

"Aw… look at the little loved up alliance… isn't it a shame you were put into this horrible situation,"

This annoys me so much, how dare she make fun of us like it's our fault we were put here, how dare she. Does she think I like being here? If only I found Jazzy before all this happened, maybe a lot of things would have been different, but right now all I want is for her to live and if Aria doesn't understand that than she obviously doesn't have a heart.

"What do you want?" I say, gritting my teeth so I don't say anything else that could get me killed right now on the spot.

"I don't know really… know anything about what just happened?"

I just shake my head. I really don't know what happened, it's extremely coincidental that we all ended up there at the same time, and I have a feeling that the gamemakers have been working on getting us all together for a while.

"So what do you suppose happens now?" she asks.

Is she serious? I'm really going to say 'I think you should let us all leave nicely, and no one will get hurt and we can live happily ever after'.

"Answer me!" she reaches for her belt, and I see the glint of metal. She has a belt full of knives, great, it just gets better and better for us. "So, which one of your stupid alliance wants to fight me first?"

Oh god, please no one answer her. And the last person I thought would answer her does, Jazzy.

"Stupid alliance? At least I have an alliance; at least I'm still with my district partner for that matter! I doubt you even know where yours is…"

Just by her facial expression, I can tell something she has said has made her angry. Jazzy becomes quiet, and moves closer to me in what I think is fear.

"You want to know where my district partner is. Do you? Her face contorts into an ugly anger which I never thought she could look like. She starts to move towards us, gripping her knife tighter. He's dead! Probably in a coffin, being sent back to our district and to his family!" before I can stop her she takes hold of Jazzy by the collar of her shirt and brings her up to her face. "So little girl, don't go thinking you're so smart when you're not!"

Everything after that goes in horrible slow motion. I dive towards Aria, I try my hardest to stop her, but she's too quick, as she slices the knife across Jazzy's small neck. And then she drops her, like she's just an old doll her parents had given her. I run over to her and punch her hard, straight in the jaw. She holds it in shock, and is about to throw her knife at me, but Reina says something to her, and she moves towards them. My knees buckle from underneath me and I fall next to Jazzy. She lies on her side, coughing up pools of blood. Tears are streaming down her face, and I feel the same on mine. I take her in my arms and rock her back and forth soothingly, calming her panicked breaths.

"I'm so sorry Jazzy; I was supposed to protect you…" I press my face on the top of her head, letting myself sob.

"It…it…its ok…. I wanted…you to…win" she stutters.

"No, you were supposed to win, I needed you to…"

"Ch…Chase… you … you need to go… she'll come… back" she tries to breathe deeply, but I can see her drifting away from me.

"I can't leave you… you can't leave me please Jazzy you need to win…"

"Chase…go…"

I lie her down on the floor, and take her face in my hands. Her eyes are half shut, like she is falling into a deep sleep.

"I love you so much Jazzy…" I lean over and kiss her softly.

Her mouth moves into a small smile, "I love you more…"

And slowly her eyes close, her cannon fires and I am left alone.

* * *

So there was the first installment of 'the trap' chapters. There is much more of this to come, so get ready! After writing the last chapter, I really looked forward to writing the next one, which explains the quick update. Hopefully if I'm not too busy (If my school aren't mean and give me no homework) I can try and update every few days, while I am doing this section of chapters. I will really try, so bare with me! ahaa...

I hoped you liked this chapter, it was quite sad if you ask me, and there only going to get sadder (Thats the hunger games I guess), but please review what you think and thanks for all your great reviews as well!

-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	40. Day 4, The Trap, Broken

_Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV_

I stumble through the trees, my sight blurred from the bright orange flames. My chest hurts from the heavy smoke, which has probably been killing me slowly for the past few hours.

It all started earlier today, I lay in the cold, damp dirt not sure where I even am. After… after I killed Itzel, I couldn't handle everything anymore. I just wanted to curl into a ball and not have to face anything ever again. I wanted to be home, and protected by my Mother. I started to think about how my family would have seen me, with blood all over my hands. I felt sick, with the thought that I took someone's life away, an innocent life, and that I had their blood all over my hands, and the fact that I had killed them written all over me.

After a while of just crying in the silence, I decided I couldn't lie in my sorrow anymore, so I got up and ran. I didn't know where I was running to but I just ran until I found somewhere else besides where I was. I soon found myself at a small waterfall which had a pool filled with clean water. I fell in, scrubbing at my body, until I felt I was clean. After finally getting rid of all the blood and dirt, I wandered aimlessly through the jungle, not really knowing where I was heading. To make matters worse and to make me feel even better, I tripped over a hidden root in the ground, and fell straight to the floor deep in the mud. I didn't have the effort to move, I was hungry, yet I felt sick to my stomach, and I was tired, but I couldn't sleep without having nightmares.

I just lie there alone, in the peace and quiet, and slowly I got so tired that I fell asleep. I'm not certain how long I did sleep, but I woke up to the sound of sizzling. I opened my eyes and saw the blaze of fire heading towards me. I jumped to my feet and started to move, but I was dizzy, and I couldn't move very fast. So I just tried my best to beat the fire which was biting at my heels, and here I am now.

I push my way past branches and finally see some sort of open ground. However, I soon find myself standing before other tributes, actually nearly all of the other tributes left in the games. I turn to run away, but the fire is almost blocking the way, and by the looks of it the others aren't trying to move, which means we must have to wait to see what happens next if we want to leave, because I have a feeling that someone wants something exciting to happen soon, and I don't really want to be a part of that right now. Everything next happens quite fast, an arrow flies through the air, and at first I think it is going to hit someone, but then I realise it is actually aimed towards a pile of objects in the middle. Once it hits, it all bursts into flames, and I fall to my knees and cover my head with my arms to try and protect myself. Once I think I can move, I turn and start to run in the opposite direction. My knees feel like jelly and I don't think I'm going to make it very far before collapsing, but somehow I keep on going.

I make myself move further, if I give up now, what was all of this for? If I just let myself die, Brock saving my life would have meant nothing, and he would have died for me for no reason. If I give up, killing Itzel would have been worth nothing, and I would have taken someone who might have won this things chances and life away. I would have made my siblings and everyone else's predictions right, which I wouldn't last very long in these stupid games. As much as I don't want to face what I did anymore, and everything would be easier if I just died, I can't, because then what would have these past days been worth? Nothing, that's what. In the end it all comes down to do I have a strong enough conscience to keep on going, and the answer to that is sadly, I do.

I move away from all the commotion behind me, and the fire slowly moving my way. I can't help but wonder who has caused all of this; I'm not really sure a tribute could have done all this by themselves, maybe with a little bit of help from the gamemakers they could succeed with their plan… to be honest I probably don't know half of what is going on in the arena, I don't even know what is happening to myself.

Picking up speed, I take a sharp left where there is a clear path in front of me. I continue to jog, until it blends into grass again and then I just go in a random direction. All of a sudden, I feel my foot get caught, and I can't continue forward. I shuffle backwards so I can reach down to see what has happened, and it seems a piece of rope has attached itself round my left ankle. I crouch down so I can untie it, but before I can, my leg is pulled from beneath me, and I am suddenly hanging upside down. Everything looks different and I feel slightly disorientated.

I look up towards my legs and see that my ankle is still attached to the rope, but the other end of the rope is tied around a high branch. I try and swing myself to see if I can reach my ankle, but it's no use, I'm stuck here. Looking down, I'm not extremely high up, but I am high enough that if I fell it could end badly. Whoever made this trap must have hoped someone would get caught, and it's most likely they are going to come back and see if it worked, which means I need to try and get out of this fast. It could have been anyone, if it was Mercy I am dead for sure, but then again I'm not sure she is smart enough to actually make a trap like this. I just hope that if I can't get free, someone walks by and decides that it would be unfair to kill me like this, and they will let me go.

And just as this thought runs through my mind, a shadow appears not far away, and a small part of me is hoping that they are willing to help me, or I might not be alive for much longer.

_Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen (12), District 7 Female-POV_

Jogging through the Jungle, I'm not sure where my legs are even taking me. After the last few days events, I'm pretty messed up right now. I can't deal with Kadence's death, I didn't even kill her but it feels like I did. I could have done so much to help her, but I did nothing, so I could save myself. I know one thing though, Luka is smarter than I thought, and I wouldn't be surprised if he is causing great problems with others right now.

I stop jogging for a bit, just to catch my breath and make sure I don't tire out, but as I look up to continue on, I see the strangest thing. A tribute is hanging upside down from a tree branch. I rub my eyes to make sure I am not seeing things, but they are still there when I look again. I wonder if they are even alive, but then I can see them moving, obviously trying to get free.

"Is someone there?" They call out, it's a girl definitely, I can tell by the high voice.

"Um… yes, are you ok?" I say as I start to move closer. I'm not sure what I'm really supposed to do; I didn't think I would ever get put into this situation. I can't just kill them though, it would be incredibly unfair and I would never be able to live with myself.

"Do you think I'm ok?" she says, she squirms slightly and I can tell she is getting uncomfortable.

"Sorry… how did this happen?" I ask. I have finally realised who she is, her name is Ashley and she is from District eleven. I think she is only a year older than me, so it can't be any harm to talk to her.

"I was walking, and then something got caught to my ankle, and then before I can get away I'm hanging in the air!"

"Sounds like a trap to me…" I mutter more to myself than her.

"So… are you going to help me? Because if you aren't, just carry on and you can act like this never happened, I'd understand," she looks away, and just stares into the distance.

What do I do? Should I help her? I'm definitely not going to kill her, I've already made my mind up about that, but maybe if I help her, it will make up for me not helping Kadence, it couldn't hurt not to and maybe she'll want to be allies or something. I know there's not a lot of time left in the games now but I could really use some company, I've been feeling really lonely and my first alliance didn't exactly go to plan…

"Ok… I'll help you… 'how' is the question really…" she sighs with relief and her face lightens up slightly with the prospect of me actually saving her.

I move towards the tree she is tied to and start to climb it. The branches are really stable so it is easier to climb, as it is stronger and can hold me better, which explains why it has held Ashley for so long. I make my way carefully and I am soon sitting on the branch her rope is tied to. Carefully, I shuffle along, so I get nearer to the rope. After a few minutes I am sitting right next to where it is tied.

"Ashley… you need to listen carefully…" she gives me the thumbs up and I continue, "With my axe I can cut away the rope, but there's a branch to the left of you, so do you think you can grab it in time?"

She gives me the same thumbs up signal and I tell her to get ready. I start to move the axe back and forth across the rope, and I can already see the threads loosening. One more cut and it should break.

"Ready Ashley?" I call to her. "3…" but as I say this, a loud cannon booms and makes me jump, making my hand slip, the axe slicing the rope. "Ashley watch out!" I scream, but she has already started to fall, and I soon hear a loud crack.

I peer over the side, and see her body lying on the floor, her body twitching. Quickly, I climb down from the tree, and I can already feel myself choking up. I run towards her body and kneel down beside her.

"Ashley can you hear me? Please answer me…" but she doesn't, she just lies staring at me, "I'm so sorry…" she can't say anything, and before I can help her, another cannon fires, this time for her.

I bring my knees to my chest and rock back and forth. It's happened… I killed someone… I didn't want to, I wanted to save her… this can't be happening to me…

I back away, covering my mouth in shock at what has happened. I sob, not being able to catch my breath, and I choke on my tears.

"Sorry…sorry…sorry…" I keep on rocking; trying to calm myself down… but nothing will ever stop this feeling.

I'm Iliad Quarmen, a twelve year old killer.

The arena has finally broken me.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

* * *

Just realised I haven't done an update of the fallen tributes recently, so there you go^ This chapter was kind of sad because there both nice tributes, but the games do that, so yeah...

Thanks for reading and reviewing,

-DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	41. Day 4, The Trap, Bandages

_Kyran Flint (17), District 6 Male-POV_

I feel so terrible. I'm holding everyone back right now, and it's killing me inside. What if I'm the reason that Reina gets killed, because she wouldn't leave me? Even if I begged her to go, as it was the only way she would live, I know that she would look for any possible way of me coming with her. She would hate herself if she left me behind, and I'd feel the same if it was me in that situation.

Even though we only met when we were at the Capitol, it's like I've known her forever, and the fact that we only met because we got put into the games, makes this so much more confusing. Although this is the worst thing that could probably happen to the both of us, we met each other, and if we hadn't been put here we most likely never would have. However, we both know it's not going to last for long, and it's that decision which we knew we would have to make from the start, do our own lives mean more to us than the other ones.

After all the commotion with the fire, I tried to run away, of course I did, and I did get quite far too, but my leg kind of buckled underneath me, and the obvious burst of adrenaline had run out. Reina in some way caught me, and lifted me so we could carry on. She really has been helping me throughout, I doubt I would have survived without her, but I guess she feels she owes me as I did save her from that Jackal kid. Wow, it feels like months ago when all that happened, when we came face to face with each other around the cornucopia, and for the first time we saw the others as competitors, not just people who were just like us and had been put here, we saw things for how they truly were and that everyone around us would have to die for us to live.

We finally get to empty space, where we could be safe for a few minutes. We reach the middle and I fall to the floor, my leg unbearable any longer. I have a small feeling that there is something more serious with my leg that meets the eye, and I could use a doctor right now, but that isn't going to happen, obviously. Reina rummages through a bag and brings out some bandages and some water. She begins to clean the wound, and I look up to see what's going on with our allies from eight, only to realise we have been joined by another tribute, Aria… the female from district four.

I know I am normally the one to joke, but this girl, she looks crazy and I mean not just Capitol escort crazy I mean murderer crazy. Her eyes are like black holes, no feeling inside them, she just looks empty.

"Reina…don't react, but we have a…visitor…" I whisper, she slowly looks up at me, her eyes big and she turns her head towards them. Quickly swinging it back, she looks at me, and brings he finger to her lips, telling me to stay quiet.

Continuing to wrap up my leg, Reina doesn't look at the others, but I can tell she is listening intently. I try to concentrate on them, but my eyes our blurring. _What's happening to me? _My stomach whirls and I feel like I am going to throw up. I_t must be the pain, that's all it is, there is nothing wrong with you, and you'll be fine. _I lie on my back and shut my eyes, trying to get away from the bright light of the sky, which I decide is making my head pound the most. I can hear murmuring in the distance, and then it gets louder, and louder.

What is _going on? Open your eyes Kyran; you need to see what is going on. You need to make sure Reina is okay, just open your eyes for god's sake what is wrong with you? _

I open one eye first, and I see Reina above me.

"Kyran, you need to concentrate…" she stares at me and breathes relieved, "Jazzy's… Jazzy's hurt Kyran," she whispers.

I sit up and look over to where Reina is also looking. Jazzy is lying on the floor, a line of red on her neck. Chase its knelt next to her distraught, and I suddenly realise how he must be feeling. Aria is just standing staring at them, and I can tell she wants Chase next.

"Reina she's going to get Chase," I say wincing, trying to get up.

"No Kyran, stay there I'll sort this…" she stands up and walks a bit closer to Aria. "What's your problem? Have you seriously cracked already? I really thought you'd be stronger than that little miss four…" I almost want to laugh, at the look on Aria's face; it's as if Reina has just slapped her straight round the face.

"What did you just say?" Aria almost screams, she grits her teeth, clenching her fists.

"You heard me…" Reina calls back.

Suddenly a cannon fires, and I realise it was for Jazzy. I look over to where my other allies are, but Jazzy is the only one there. Chase is nowhere to be seen… he left us…

I look back over to Reina, and notice that Aria has edged a lot closer to her. Although I've never seen Reina so strong, I don't want her getting hurt, she needs to watch out. I need to get closer to them, and I push myself up, but a wave of dizziness over powers me. I close my eyes and try to concentrate, and then I carry on slowly moving towards them. My head hurts badly, and everything is spinning. I can feel sweat lining my forehead, and my breath has picked up rapidly.

Through the blurred vision, I see Aria is face to face with Reina, and she is shouting in her face. I need to get to Reina, I need to help her.

"Who do you think you are? I have not cracked, I am fine… I am fine…" Aria shouts, she clasps her hand round Reina's face, and I can see it is hurting her.

"Let go of me…" Reina mumbles.

"Oh, you want me to let go? Do you? Well… I thought you would like to see what a cracked person really acts like…" I see her hand reach down to the belt round her waist, and gripping the handle of a knife.

Run. I shout this at myself, I need to run now. Not away from all of this, but to them, I need to help Reina. I keep moving so I am behind Aria, and before I can think I am moving towards her.

Closer, I keep getting closer. I am only a few steps behind her; I just need to get a bit closer.

I'm so close now I can touch her, I can stop her.

I'm too weak. I can't take her down. She'll kill me, I know it. But if I don't… she'll kill Reina. I look at Reina, and I don't think she has noticed I'm there. Her eyes are wild like Aria's, but she still has feeling in hers.

I use all the strength in me, to jump at Aria, I move my arms around her neck, and I'm clinging onto her. She screams, in frustration I think, and she spins round trying to get me off her. I hold onto her tightly, trying to make her lose balance.

She suddenly falls to the ground, but backwards so I am beneath her. I throw her off me and start to crawl away, but she takes a hold of my ankle and drags me back towards her. I can hear her screaming, and she dives on top of me, the blade of the knife coming towards me. Reina quickly dives towards her trying to push her, and she moves slightly to the side, but her knife still strikes at my stomach.

I cry out in pain, and she pulls the knife away, and jumps to her feet. Tucking the knife in her belt, I can see some emotion flash across her face. She almost looks… sorry? She stares at Jazzy's lifeless body, and then at me, and then before she can be stopped she runs away into the trees, out of sight.

"Kyran, why did you do that… why did you help me" Reina cries, she pulls off her jacket and holds it against the wound on my stomach.

"I'll be fine… I don't think it's too bad…" I mumble.

"You need help, you need a doctor…" she stares at me, and the realisation that I won't get that kicks in. "Well, I'll help you, I'm not going to let you die I promise."

I push on my arms so I can sit up, and I gesture for her to come closer. I move my hand to her face and stroke the red marks Aria has left on her cheek. "I know, but…"

"No buts Kyran, you don't give up, I am here for you and I will not let you die," she stares at me determinedly, and then takes some bandages out of the bag and begins to wrap them round my stomach, "It's not that deep, it's barely a scratch, you will be fine, you… you just need some rest…"

Once she has finished wrapping the bandage, she stands up, gathers our stuff and moves towards the top of my body. "I'm going to move you into the shade..."

She holds under my arms and starts to drag me towards the trees. After a few minutes I am in a shady place, and I can feel my body cool down slightly. She hands me some water and I drink some, and then she packs it back away and sits down next to me.

She strokes my forehead and leans down, "You'll be fine, now get some sleep."

Letting my eyes drift shut, I think about whether I really am going to be alright. And as I fall into the darkness, I take a deep breath and hope I will make it another day.

* * *

Just a quick note, I am sosososososo sorry that this chapter was late. I have been very busy this week, but yeah I am really sorry.

Hope you liked this chapter, left a bit of a 'will he die, will he not?' situation.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	42. Day 4, The Trap, Loyalty

_Loki Braveheart (18), District 1 Male-POV_

This can't be happening. Everything was going so well, and then it all comes crashing down. I'm running, like I'm running for my own life, but its someone else's life I am worried about this time.

She's all I think about right now, Savannah. What if someone is killing her? What if she is hurt and alone? If I find out who has taken her, I swear I'll kill them.

I push through the smoke, trying to follow the direction they have gone in, but everything is just confusing and a massive blur. It's hopeless trying to keep track of where they are, because there are other people all around and they could be any of them when it's hard to see who everyone actually is. It's strange to think that if I hadn't met Savannah, I would probably be killing other tributes right now. However, at this point in time I have more important things to worry about.

"Savannah? Can you hear me? Just tell me you're all right… please…" I shout, even if someone heard me they probably won't do anything to me; they must have their own problems to deal with. "Savannah?"

"Loki? Where are you?" Suddenly realising that I am getting a reply, I start standing as tall as possible, to see if I can find her.

"Savannah? Savannah answer me!"

But I get no reply, I keep calling again and again, but she never calls out. I keep on running, and soon I am out of the smoke and making my way through the jungle. I look in desperation for anything; footprints in the dark mud, broken vines that look moved through, something that shows a sign that Savannah might have been there.

It's true what people say, that you never know what you've got until it's gone. I never thought it would apply to me, but I guess it does. I suppose I've never had feelings for someone like I have for Savannah. Obviously there were some girls who used to like me back in my district, but they were all just pretty rich girls who had no actual feelings, they just wanted a boyfriend to entertain them once in a while, and I didn't really like that. Savannah is different, she cares about others, and she cares about me, which is a first for a lot of people.

When I look at her, I can see what life with her could be like, I would never admit that to anyone, but sometimes it gets you through hard times when you go through 'what if' situations. Like, what if she was from my district, even then I don't think she could be like the other girls, and we would have met before, and there could have been something there… we could have been happy. What if neither of us got reaped, we wouldn't have met each other, but we would both live our lives separately, but we would be alive. When it comes down to it, it really depends on what is more important to you in life, and I never thought what I choose would be my answer.

After what feels like hours of searching, my mind starts to fill with horrible thoughts. Maybe they have hurt her and she can't move? Maybe they've done worse… No, I can't think like that, she'll be fine, she's strong, brave, and she will be absolutely fine…

Finding myself in unfamiliar ground, I start to suspect that the gamemakers might have altered the arena a bit, just to confuse us and destroy our safety even more. Before when all the tributes were together, I had a feeling that they had made that open space especially for us at that time… the power they have is incredible…

Stepping into this new area of land, it is strangely similar to everything around here, but it is still different in its own way. I guess you could call it open space, but to actually get to it you must walk through some tall grass. It's all dark greens like everything else in the jungle, but it is just different by its guarded wall of grass which surrounds it. As if they want to hide the contents of the area inside…

Immediately an idea clicks in my head, Savannah could be in here, with her recent kidnapper. Before considering any other form of ideas, I run through the tall grass. It comes to just above my head, which is the reason I am so surprised for what happens next.

A sharp pain strikes the crown of my head, and I fall to the floor gripping it in pain. Staring around, I catch sight of my attacker…

"Luka? What do you think you're doing? What is this?"

"Oh Loki… I think you know already…"

"Where is Savannah? If you've hurt her I swear…"

"Oh don't worry, if you do what I say, Savannah won't get hurt, but let's just say at the moment she is… troubled…"

And then everything clicks into place… he is smarter than I thought…

This was all just a trick.

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

Darkness, it fills the space around me with fear and anxiety. It's the not knowing that is the worst part, not knowing what is beyond the darkness. In a way, you want to stay there, you don't want to find out what is past it, but at one point you will have to, otherwise you will just be stuck in a black hole with no way out.

Taking that step, I slowly open my eyes to see what is around me. Surprisingly, there is nothing, no one, just grass and trees. What happened? Someone took me… someone who I thought would never do that…

Loki looked for me; I remember he shouted for me, he sounded worried… I wish I could see him and tell him I'm fine. Who knows what trouble he is in because of me…

It all seems like a faraway blur. One minute we were standing there together, next I am being dragged off into the smoke and I couldn't get away. They held me tightly so I couldn't struggle, and tried to suffocate me, stop me from causing any problems. They knocked me out, and left me alone, why would they do that to me?

Luka is supposed to be my district partner, and yet he did that to me… what happened to district loyalty? I knew I wasn't anything special to him really, but I never thought he would stoop so low to try and kill me?

But then… why am I still alive? Wouldn't he of just finished off the job, quick and easy, one less person in his way of winning? Maybe he wasn't thinking straight, he hasn't been himself for a while now, he's been acting crazy. So why would he do this?

I sit against a tree, trying to get my head together, trying to think straight. Think Savannah, why would Luka try and hurt you… he must have wanted something out of it, he must have gained something from it…

Suddenly, everything starts to piece together… who is one of Luka's biggest competition? Loki. Who do I mean the most to at the moment? Loki. By hurting me, by taking me away, who is he leading straight to him? Loki. I should have realised this at the start, the only reason Luka wanted me, is to get me out of the way, so he could attempt to kill Loki. I need to find them; I need to stop this happening…

And as if it wants me to go, a wall of fire breaks through the trees, making its way to me. I start to run the opposite way, like it is leading me somewhere, and as I continue to be chased down, the fire so close I can almost feel it singeing my hair, I find myself soon falling through a tall wall of grass and landing on my knees on the floor. I push myself up to stand, and when I look up, I see a gawping Loki, Luka standing behind him with an axe to his throat.

"What… what's going on?" I mumble.

"I thought you said she was in trouble… I thought…"

"People lie Loki, you should have learnt that by now…" Luka stands with a smirk on his face, and suddenly bursts out with a fit of evil laughter.

"Luka… why… why are you doing this?" I say in a whisper, but I can feel myself wanting to shout.

"You're smart Savannah, and I'm sure you have already figured it out, am I right?"

All I can do is nod, and I start to move forward.

"Stop! Don't come any closer, or you will both die!" I can see the madness fill his eyes, and I take a few steps back, lifting my hands in the air.

"You hurt her…" Loki spits gritting his teeth.

"Well someone is going to have to die, or this whole situation is going to be a little bit awkward…" he gives a joking smile, but I can tell he is definitely not joking. "And it definitely isn't going to be me, so who's it going to be… him" he gestures to Loki, "or her?" he gestures then to me.

I stare deep into Loki's eyes, and I can see both anger and fear. I know what he is going to say, as much as I hate it, I know exactly what it is…

"You won't kill her, kill me…"

"Loki no… don't do this…" I cry, running towards them.

"Too late!" Luka shouts. And then he swings the axe, and before I can scream, drives it deep into Loki's neck.

"NO!" I scream, running towards Loki. Luka runs off laughing, leaving me alone with Loki.

Loki lies twitching on the floor, and I slowly remove the axe from his neck. I want to be sick, I want to cry, but most of all I want to hurt Luka.

Loki grips his neck, and I can see he is trying to talk to me.

"Loki… why did you do this, you should have lived; you could have won this…"

He looks at me and with his other hand, squeezes mine, mouthing something. I realise he is saying, 'you can'.

"I will do this… I am going to do this for you…" I say reassuringly. "Oh Loki you can't leave me, please don't leave me, please…" I rest my head against his forehead, my tears dripping onto his cheeks.

He takes a struggled breath and tries to speak, "I… lo…lo…love…"

"It's okay I know, I love you too Loki, I wish things were different…"

I can see the light leaving his eyes, him slowly falling into the darkness. My sobs are taking over me now, but I try to keep myself strong for him. I lean down, and kiss him softly on the lips, for one final goodbye. He looks up at me, and squeezes my hand giving a small smile, before his head rolls back, he stares into space, and a cannon fires for him.

I lean over and shut his eyes so he can be in peace, and then I fall onto his chest, gripping onto his shirt, letting myself cry.

"Why, why, why, why…" I mumble, shaking my head hard. "No… this hasn't happened, this can't be happening, he'll wake up, he will I know it…" I stare at him, and he just lies there silently. "Wake up Loki… I said wake up…" I take him and shake his body, trying to get him to talk to me. "Please wake up, please wake up."

I fall onto the floor next to him, and curl into a ball, crying into I think I have no tears left. I don't want to admit this has all happened, its killing me inside. Why didn't I die? Why didn't he live, he could have won and had his whole life ahead of him…

Luka needs to die for this. I want him in the cold hard ground, lying alone, he will never find love, and he will be alone forever.

I stand up shakily and lean down, picking up Luka's axe he left behind. With my other hand, I blow a final kiss to Loki, and then I walk off into the trees, the axe swinging by my side.

Luka better watch out…

Because district loyalty means nothing to me anymore.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

* * *

Are you shocked? Well that was my aim so I really hope so ahaa...

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know some will be very upset, but it had to happen sometime, and it just so happened the time was now...

Also, there is one particular reviewer that keeps complaining *anonomously I may add* that I am not updating and that they are not going to read or whatever, I would message them personally but as I said they are hiding who they are. So listen, we all have personal lives, I do have school, and stuff to do besides school, and sometimes I can't update more than once a week. It just so happens that when you reviewed I was about to update, so yeah, thats awkward... if you want to complain just do it on your own account for gods sake. Ok rant over, and sorry for everyone else that doesn't apply to, but I just had to let them know.

On a brighter note, I have recently become part of a 24 authors story, and if you could please read it that would be amazing of you. The story is **Hunters & The Hunted: The 10th Hunger Games**, and my tribute is Lily-May Oakley, District 7 Female. Again please read it would mean a lot, and if you are wondering don't worry this is still my main story priority.

So that was a long authors note, but I had a lot to say, but thank you for reading and reviewing, and just to let you know there is only one more 'The trap' chapter left, and then there will be a new surprise in store for the story.

Thanks, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	43. Day 4, The Trap, Final Flame

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

"Micah can you hurry up! We'll never catch Loki and his little farmyard girlfriend at this rate!" I call back to my ally.

"What's the point? It's not going to make any difference whether we find him or not, we'd be better off just getting away from all of this and making sure we are alright first…"

"The point is, that I want to find out what is so special about her that he had to leave his own loyal alliance, and betray us before giving even a small explanation… also I would rather enjoy seeing the girl in pain, but that is just a small wish of mine…" I turn to look at Micah and she looks at me with both a confused but amused expression, a small smirk appearing on her face.

As much as we could be called very different people, it seems that since we have been here we have worked quite well with each other… and the fact that we are the only two left of the careers helps as well. We're the only ones that have stayed loyal, while others just run off with their little girlfriends. What happened to district loyalty? I mean, Araluen is the only exception, he couldn't really help… well dying, but the rest should have stuck together. Now Araluen is dead, Poe is dead, Aria is god knows where and Loki is off with his new love interest… things really do change quickly in the games don't they.

It's not that I need to find Loki, I just need some answers to a few questions of mine, but if I don't find him now it isn't the end of the world. Micah and I are currently trying to get away from any other tributes, obviously we could take them down but it's better to stay out of all that trouble… there is something very un natural about all of that and I'd rather not get too involved, especially if I'm going to win this.

The games really have picked up pace lately, and I've already heard a cannon or two, which shows just how much is going on. None of us know who is dead now; who was dead a few days ago, all we have to do is concentrate on us not dying seeing as that is the most important thing. It's even stranger to think we have been here for… four days now and we might only be here a few days more, so all I need to do is live these next few days and I will be heading back to District One victorious.

"Mercy let's just leave all this and take camp somewhere, it should be getting dark soon and I'm sure not much more will happen…"

"I guess so… let's just walk a few more minutes and then…" I stop talking quickly as I hear some movement nearby, and I stand on my toes trying to see over some tall shrubs.

"Why have you stopped…"

"Be quiet!" I hiss, putting my finger to my lips, indicating for her to keep her mouth shut.

I try and stand as tall as possible while trying not to fall and I soon find myself looking at a small figure in the distance. Definitely a girl, I'm just not sure who. She sits round a pile of what looks like rubbish, but what intrigues me is the many wires trailing out from it.

"Micah… who is that?" I whisper, gesturing her forward.

She copies how I stand, peering over the top and squinting her eyes so she can make out who it is.

"It looks like the girl from twelve, her name begins with an A…"

"Annalisa…" I say, nodding to myself, I remember her faintly but I can't really remember what she was like in training.

"What do you think she's doing?" Micah asks, looking confused at the contraption surrounding Annalisa.

"I'm not sure…" I start, moving towards a nearby tree which I notice has wire tied round its trunk, "But I think we now know who's behind all of these problems…"

"Are you sure? She's so quiet; she couldn't possibly have done all this…"

"Oh I'm almost one hundred per cent sure, think back to when we saw all the tributes, who wasn't there? And she might not have done it all by herself, it could have been another tribute or even the gamemakers helping her along the way…" I smile to myself, proud of myself for solving all this.

"Well I guess that saying is right, 'it's always the quiet ones'…" she gives a small snigger and I join her. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Hmm, well we need to stop her, because all of this is going to cause some problems for us…"

"Definitely, especially as we don't know what it does, we need to stop it, maybe distract her and get her away so she can't set whatever is off…"

I nod my head in agreement, "Micah, I think you just came up with the plan…"

_Annalisa Soleil (15), District 12 Female-POV_

Everything has gone so perfectly, exactly to plan. So much chaos and trouble, all because of me. The accomplishment is the best feeling, knowing that I have succeeded in my plan and have come so much closer to living and actually winning this thing. I truly believe I can now, and I don't care who dies anymore.

I have definitely changed in the past few days, I probably would have cried myself to sleep thinking about all the lives that have been taken on account of me, but now I don't really care, most of them were probably those cocky arrogant ones who thought they were going to win straight away at the reaping. But look at who is in the lead now… me. Who would have guessed that?

Sitting here basking in my glory has been very fulfilling, the final part of my trap is ready and all I need is a strike of a match to end this lovely masterpiece. For the past hour, all I have heard is cannons booming in the air, and I have decided to think of them as little thanks from the gamemakers and the Capitol, for making these first ever games pretty spectacular.

I wonder how my Mother feels, seeing her daughter becoming victorious. She could be in fact, disgusted, yes that is a possibility, but who cares, I'm alive aren't I? Isn't that all that matters? Doesn't she want her daughter to live?

There are more important things to be thinking about, like getting this trap properly done with. After setting up the pit of objects earlier, and setting others around it, all it took was a flaming arrow to hit, and so much trouble began. I do have a feeling I have gained some help, getting everyone to the same place would have been difficult for just me to do, and quite impossible as well. But still, I made all this happen, you can't take that away from me. From there, the other tributes must have just made their own problems, getting into their own fights and obviously dying. Not my problem if they were stupid enough to get caught in a trap so easily.

I push my hair off my sweat covered forehead, and start to reel back the final piece of wire across the plain of land. The other end is attached to another pit, which is attached to other pieces of wire, which are attached to trees and it goes on so it is just a web of disaster. All I need to do is set fire to the end that I am holding, and if all goes to plan it should work perfectly… causing great destruction of course.

I take hold of the match and strike it against the rough edge of the packet, holding the dazzling flame in front of me.

Yes, you might think I am delusional, maybe I am, but I believe that this will work, and that I will win the games. It's only a matter of time until I will be taken off back to the Capitol, and be given riches for myself and my district. I will be the first ever victor, and known as the amazing Annalisa of the first Hunger Games in Panem history.

It's all just a matter of how long it will take for everyone else to die...

And this plan is sure to get that started…

_Micah Flay (18), District 2 Female-POV_

I stand by myself, staring at Annalisa through the gaps in the trees, waiting for Mercy's signal. It's very tense right now, while I watch Annalisa sit by herself, holding a box of matches and quietly mumbling to herself. I think the games have really affected her, it's quite sad, but obviously she can't deal with the pressure.

It's definitely not easy, being in the games. I should know, yesterday I killed an innocent girl just so I would get one step closer to winning. If that's what it takes, then I'm going to do it, I need to get home and I am determined to.

Looking back up, I see Mercy giving me the thumbs up on the other side of the piece of land where Annalisa is. When I look at her, she is knelt on the floor a lit match in her hand, so I quickly act fast, taking my bow and arrows in my hand and strolling towards her.

"What are you doing?" I call out, making myself sound intimidating. She jumps at the sound of my voice and looks up at me wide eyed.

She quickly gains her composure, and stands up carefully still holding the match, "Guess you've figured out what I've done, right?"

I continue walking towards her, but I keep some of my view still on mercy's beady eyes peering through the trees behind her. "You could say that… pretty clever for someone from twelve… I thought you all just dug up coal, didn't know you were secretly master minds in the making…"

_That's it Micah, keep annoying her, wind her up so she breaks, that's what you need to do._

Annalisa looks at me frustrated, and I can already see her mind trying to think of a way to get around this confrontation, "Guess you were wrong then, and by the way sarcasm doesn't suit you…" she gives a patronising smile and turns back to the objects in her hand, unravelling the final bit of wire.

I feel myself tense up in annoyance; she really is different to what I expected her to be. "So you really did all this huh? Then I don't see why you can't explain what you actually have done, just to clear up any miss understood parts…"

She looks at me carefully, wondering what I have planned, but I try and out on my most innocent look and she slowly nods her head. "Ok I don't see why not, but one question before I do, where is the rest of your alliance? I thought there was so many of you, the power alliance or whatever…" she rolls her eyes and sniggers to herself. There's something not right about her, she doesn't seem very sane right now, and the games have definitely taken her down.

Shrugging my shoulders I answer her question easily, "Who knows, they could be dead for all I care, alliances just hold you back, am I right?"

She nods in reply, but gets distracted by her recently lit match blowing out; you would have thought she would know that they burn out quickly. While she isn't fully concentrating, I give Mercy the sign, tucking my hair behind my right ear, so she knows to begin to move towards us. I see her slowly creep out from the trees and she starts to walk towards us, waving her hands at the same time gesturing for me to carry on stalling.

"You going to tell me then, what all this is about?"

"It's pretty simple really," she starts. "When everyone was busy killing other tributes, I was working on this trap, building different contraptions, potions, anything that would help stop and kill tributes."

I nod in understanding, but something in the back of my mind is saying this isn't right. She has to be stupid to be telling me all this, and even just sitting there! I could have killed her in a second if I wanted to; she hasn't even noticed the bow and arrow in my hands. She either doesn't care what happens, or she thinks she has so much power that she couldn't be killed.

Mercy is now so close that she could touch Annalisa, but somehow she has stayed so quiet she has stayed unnoticed.

"So when do you plan to finish all of this off?" I ask.

She looks up at me and strikes a match she holds in her hand, "Now actually…"

She drops the match, letting it fall onto the end of the wire, and the sparks begin to travel up the material.

"Now Mercy!" I shout.

She jumps forward and takes hold of Annalisa's arms, dragging them behind her so hard that I'm sure I hear a snap.

"You… you tricked me…" she screams.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but you were too much of a risk to let go" Mercy says, she nods for me to step in.

I lift up my bow, placing the arrow and drawing the string back. Squinting my eye to concentrate, I aim it for her chest and release, and it lands straight where I aimed. I've never missed before, and I definitely wasn't going to now. Annalisa cries out, and Mercy lets go, backing away and walking towards me.

"Good job Micah."

"Thanks…" I mumble, but I still keep my eyes in the figure lying on the floor in pain.

"Please… don't leave me…" she groans.

It hurts me to see someone like this, and maybe if we did help her she could survive, but she would only have to die later on.

"Come on Micah, we better go before this thing sets off…"

With one last look at Annalisa, I mouth a small 'sorry', and pull Mercy's arm as I start to run away. We make it out, and we move away, but then we stand and watch for something to happen. I see a small spark, and then the middle burst into flames. Afterwards, sparks continue to travel down the other wires, towards the trees.

"Um Micah… I think we should…"

"MOVE!" I shout, as I turn to run, but the trees set alight, and I feel the force of the trap exploding move me backwards. I fall to the floor, not actually sure where, and my head pounds from the impact.

Doubtful of what has happened, I look up dazed and see the dark flames climbing over me. I let out a small scream and start to crawl away, then jumping to my feet and sprinting in the opposite direction, the flames biting at my back.

I move until I can't hear the sizzling anymore, and I fall to the ground, letting the cool air heal the sharp burns from the fire.

Wait… where is Mercy?

I sit up and look around, but I stare into darkness, no one in sight. This can't be good; I'm injured, alone and in darkness. I lost my bow on the way, no weapons to protect me, and I don't know what is going to happen.

As I lie back onto the ground, I hear a distant cannon fire, and I realise I had forgotten Annalisa was left in the pit of that mess, and she must have finally been put at rest.

She is at peace, no longer having to fight. I am the complete opposite, having whatever next hell just around the corner. However, I may be alone and have lost my ally, but maybe it's for the best. Only one person can win after all, and it will be me, if not than all this would have been for nothing.

Every horrible detail of it.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Annalisa Soleil, District 12- Killed by Micah Flay.**

* * *

There you go, the final part of 'the trap' chapters. So the tributes left are... Mercy, Micah, Aria, Kyran, Iliad, Chase, Reina, Savannah, Luka. I don't want to reveal why in this note right now, but if your tribute is left in the games, could you either PM me or say in your review, if you would like to send a sort of 'sponsor gift' you could call it. If you do this I'll PM you with more details, but I just need to know if what I am thinking for future chapters is going to work. So please if you could, let me know:)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review what you think!

Thanks, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	44. Day 4-5, A Helpful Oppurtunity

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

I'm a monster. A terrible, terrible human being. What have I become? I didn't mean for it to happen this way. I just… I just want to get home, that's all I want, I didn't mean for all this to happen. Sometimes I just get annoyed, when you hurt someone I care about, you hurt me. When… when the girl started saying all that stuff to me, I felt sick with what I had done. She didn't know, of course she didn't. I did it to help him, to help my friend, but then why do I feel so horrible every time I think about it?

People do it all the time, I've seen it before. When their family member is extremely sick and there is no hope left, they put them out of their misery, out of their pain. I did just that, but the difference is that normally you would just stop giving them their medicine, or give them too much so they would go into a deep sleep and never wake up, I physically killed Poe, but it was what I had to do at the time, he wanted me to do it, and I did put him out of his pain.

I couldn't have saved him, I'm far from a doctor and the only medical training I have is what I read from a leaflet in the Capitol. Trying to save him would have made things ten times worse, and that's what I need to keep telling myself.

However, there is no excuse for me hurting the others. It was plain getting caught up in the moment, and the need to protect myself. Like an animal in the wild, you do what you have to do to survive, if another animal tries to hurt you, you're obviously going to try and fight back. It's the same thing here; I need to survive so I can get home.

Then I guess you're wondering, why are you fretting about it so much? It's all the matter of that it isn't me, all this was basically an act I needed to put on to win, but I'm not sure whether I want to be this person. I'm starting to lose myself to the Hunger Games, and I never wanted it to happen.

After hurting Kyran, I realised what I had become, and I couldn't sit and watch him possibly die. I did the cowardly thing and ran. I ran so fast, that I thought my legs were going to break. When I thought I had escaped any sign of tributes, I sat and cried like the coward I am. I cried for Oliver, the boy from twelve who I had mercilessly killed for my own protection, not even thinking about him till now. I cried for Poe, my only friend in these games who had saved my life so many times, that he consequently died because of it. I cried for Jazzy, who had found love in the games, and because of me has left that love alone for longer than expected. And lastly, I cried for Kyran, who I wasn't even sure had died, but the amount of cannons I had heard, one of them could have been for him.

Until now, I hadn't realised how much these games destroyed people's lives, both alive and dead.

Now here I am, bursting into tears every time I hear a cannon fire. I feel so weak, but I needed to let this out, if I was to carry on in the games. After about an hour of silence, when the sun has set and it is almost dark, the Capitol anthem begins to play. That could only mean one thing, the fallen tributes.

The first face to appear is Poe; it feels strange to see his smiling face in the sky. They haven't done a fallen tributes announcement for a while, which I guessed was because there was going to be a lot of deaths today… well I was definitely right.

After Poe it is Kadence, the girl from three. She must have died before today, because I never saw her when all the tributes met again. I wonder how she died…

After her it is Flair, the female tribute from five. I never saw her today too… the mystery of all the deaths is very strange, how we don't know who has died until this announcement. It's like a blind spot; you could call it a weakness I guess.

A sob escapes my throat, when Jazzy appears in the sky next. I blink away the tears, trying not to upset myself again; I soon have to look away, feeling too guilty.

The Ashley from district eleven is next, she looks so small, she must have been one of the youngest here. Who could have killed her?

I am completely shocked at the next tribute and I gasp so loud that I'm sure someone must have heard me. Loki is in the sky, his fierce expression projecting over the arena. Something must have gone really wrong for this to happen, I was sure he would make it to the final five at least.

After Loki, Annalisa from district twelve appears. I believe she was behind a lot of this trap, so it confuses me on how she died. Did she die because of her own trap? If so, that is extremely unfortunate for her…

Soon enough the Capitol anthem is playing again and the sky goes dark.

At least one thing is cleared up, Kyran didn't die, and I didn't kill him. A tiny part of the giant weight on my shoulders lightens and I lie down to get some rest. I really am tired, and a few hours' sleep can't hurt…

Loud music plays throughout the arena, awakening me from my sleep. When I am fully awake I realise it is actually the Capitol anthem playing again. What's happening? Are they telling us more people who have died?

"Hello Tributes, this is your head gamemaker here," I can almost see his sickly smile as he says this.

Now this is weird… why would the head gamemaker be talking to us?

"You will be happy to know, that you lucky bunch are in the final nine!"

Lucky? Is he serious? Not being here would make us lucky! I know I volunteered, but it is the biggest regret I ever made, even if I did train all the time, I wish I had never volunteered now…

"So as a special treat to you all for making it this far, there is going to be a feast! It will begin at noon, and be held at the cornucopia."

A feast? What is this guy going on about…?

"Right now, you could all use something, whether it is food, water, a medical kit, a weapon…"

He's right, I am helpless at the moment, I could really use a weapon, and I'm sure everyone else does need something after everything that has happened…

"The feast, will provide you each with a bag, which your district number on the front, inside will be the helpful item your escort has chosen to send you and also a small note for moral support, wouldn't you want to maybe hear from a family member? Oh wouldn't that be delightful…" he breaks out into an evil laugh, which lasts for about thirty seconds.

It would be nice to get a note from someone, I could use some support right now…

"This _will _be your final sponsor gift in the games, after this, you will have to do this on your own… but be warned, you will most likely run into another tribute while being at this feast, so think carefully… there is no rule saying you don't have to come, but do you really want to miss out on this great… opportunity?"

His final laugh fades into the emptiness as everything goes silent…

Do I want to do this? It is a chance for me to get a weapon, and become a step closer to winning… it does mean I might have to kill again, but I guess I knew that all along. If I get there early enough, I could get my bag before anyone else, and escape without any harm done. I doubt anyone remembers how to get back to the cornucopia easily, if I hurry it could work.

And with that, my decision is made. I stand up wiping away the tears from my previous crying, and I take off alone to find the cornucopia, and hopefully gain my prize, all I have to do is grab it and go.

It's as simple as that…

* * *

So there is the next part of the games, there shall be a feast! Again, the final nine left are, Micah, Mercy, Aria, Kyran, Iliad, Chase, Reina, Savannah, Luka. If these are any of your tributes, please can you send me a final message, telling me what you would like them to be sent, and the note inside, (the maximum size of the note is 2 lines), so I know for definate what they are being sent and I can begin writing the chapter.

Thanks, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	45. Day 5, Making Amends

_Reina Luckmere (17), District 9 Female-POV_

Lying next to Kyran, I curl up closer to his body trying to keep warm. It seems to have become a lot colder in the arena since last night, and even though the artificial sun has risen it is still freezing. Kyran is still fast asleep, the heat from his risen temperature keeping me alive. I know something is badly wrong; I'm not sure what exactly I just know it's bad.

I'm not a doctor, right now I wish I was but I'm not. Although I do know, that the wound in his leg is still bad, and the wound in his stomach is very, very bad. I have stopped the bleeding slightly, but if I don't help him soon… he won't make it to tomorrow.

Luckily, this morning I heard some hopeful news. At noon there is going to be a 'feast', where we have the chance to gain our final sponsor gift. When I heard, I almost squealed in happiness… I could save Kyran, there might even be some medicine waiting for him. I can't refuse it, I need to go, I won't be able to take Kyran with me but I can still go alone.

My plan of action is to leave Kyran safely somewhere unseen, and then take off by myself. To hopefully get in and out with both our bags before another tribute can get me. I know he won't want me to go, I could be killed, but I have to take the risk for him. He didn't even hear the message; he was asleep at the time, so if I just leave him here for an hour or so, I'll be back before he knows I was even gone.

Carefully, I roll out from beside him and stand up quietly. Taking a hold of his forearms, I drag him further backwards towards a group of bushes. I place him between them and some of the thin branches of leaves arch over him protectively. Leaning down I softly kiss him on the cheek, after a quick glance back I head out in search of the cornucopia.

By the position of the sun, I can tell it is nearly noon. I have tried so hard to remember which direction the cornucopia is, and I decided in the direction I was sure was right. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I won't give up, I'm anything but a quitter.

Thinking about my life before this, I realise that even though it was terrible, full of abuse and anger, I would rather have it than this. The only positive of this was that I met Kyran, and I never would have otherwise. The negatives… well I think you know what they are. However, I'm so much stronger than I was a few weeks ago, more mentally than physically though.

It may sound cheesy, but I think Kyran made me a lot stronger. He made me realise that there are truly caring people and that someone could be that way to me. I don't remember the last time I felt this confident, I guess my uncle messed up my self-esteem levels pretty bad.

After walking for at least an hour, I hear a gong play around the arena. The feast must have started… and I don't even know if I'm near yet.

Still I am not going to give up, I need to get the medicine for Kyran, and I just know they have given him some.

After another few minutes moving in a light jog, I realise I am in the woods area of the arena, and that through here there is the cornucopia. I can almost feel myself brighten up, and I move more eagerly now. I swerve in and out of the different trees and soon I am standing on the edge of the woods, facing where all of this began.

It doesn't seem like anyone has reached here yet. I count nine bags, so no one has taken theirs yet. Maybe everyone is waiting for the first person to go, or no one has gotten here in the first place.

The table is placed just in front of the cornucopia, and all the bags are lined up next to each other. The bags are in a random order, and I can see that mine is the furthest on the left, and Kyran's is in the middle.

Deciding that it is the best option for me to just run and get it over with, as no one seems around, so I get in a running stance. However, I am quickly distracted by a figure appearing from inside the cornucopia. They walk out, their eyes dark and looking broken. After peering to the left and right, they run forward, scooping up their small bag with a number seven on it, and running off into the trees.

So it was the girl from seven… well that is surprising. She must have thought the best option for her was to get in and out before anyone could catch her. She's smarter than I thought.

Without wanting to waste any more time, I sprint forward towards the table. All I need to do is grab both bags and get out of here. Easy. I reach the table and scoop up Kyran's bag hooking my arm through the strap and then I head over to mine. I take it in the same hand, and with a swift turn I start to run back.

I've did it, I actually did it. I can help Kyran; he'll live another day and so will I. Now I just need to find him again and…

I am knocked out of my thoughts by something slamming into my body, knocking me to the ground. Confused, I look up to see a pair of pitiful eyes staring down at me. I blink a few times, and I realise it is the girl from two.

"I'm sorry, but I need to get home…" she whispers as she brings her hands around my neck.

I squirm from underneath her, scratching at her back to get off of me, but she has her knees pinned to my legs, not letting me go.

"Please, I need to help Kyran…" I choke, already feeling sick and dizzy.

With one last try, I punch her in the ribs, but it is weak and she only flinches. As everything begins to go dark, I realise that I have failed Kyran, and he is going to wake up alone and clueless to where I have gone. He'll probably think I have left him! And then he'll get sicker and sicker… oh god what have I done!

Micah looks at me sadly her face scrunched up in what I think is slightly because of concentration. But suddenly, I see someone's leg lift in the air, and kick straight into the side of her head. She releases and flies to the side, crying out in pain. I push myself up and cling at my burning throat, looking around at what is going on.

Aria runs past me and dives onto Micah, kneeing her in the stomach in the process. Pinning her down, she looks to the side and directs her wide eyes on me, and I instantly know what she means.

She wants me to go, to help Kyran and keep myself alive, and she is sorry for hurting him, hoping that we are even now.

She is risking her own life for me, just to make amends…

I stare at her in shock and mouth the words 'thank you', before scurrying back and springing to my feet, sprinting far away.

I can't believe what just happened; she has thrown herself into a fight, just so she makes up for hurting the four of us yesterday.

When I am far enough that I have gotten out of the forest and back in the jungle, I open my bag. Inside is a little slip of paper saying, "Maybe you aren't as useless as I thought."- Spur.

It's a note from my Uncle… It might seem condescending to you, but to me it is the nicest thing I have ever heard him say to me. I tuck the note in my jacket pocket and reach into the bag, pulling out a large knife. A small smile appears on my face, and I am extremely pleased. I have a weapon to protect us now.

After tucking the knife into my belt, I take Kyran's bag and open it reaching in for the note. It reads, "Use for your wounds. We're rooting for you."- Your family. He'll love to read this, I better keep it safe.

I tuck it in my pocket with mine, and reaching into the bag I find one pot of liquid and one pot of some sort of gel. Reading on the first bottle it says 'Drink all of bottle at once for best results' and the other says, 'apply generously for the best healing.' It must be some specially made Capitol medicine, to heal his kind of wounds.

Placing them back in the bag, I hold it securely in my hand and head off towards the direction where Kyran should be.

He will finally get better, after being here for four days, he will finally heal. Even though it might not have happened without Aria…

After a little while of walking and becoming ever so close to Kyran, I am shocked by the sound of a cannon fire.

It has to be from the feast, but the question is…

Who was it for?


	46. Day 5, Confusion

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

My breath forms thick heavy clouds in front of me as I run through the woods. Why did they have to turn the heat down? I don't think I've ever been this cold in my life. First of all they put us through all of that yesterday, and then they decide to turn the arena into a giant freezer!

Yesterday after the 'explosion', I woke up lying on the floor, clueless to where I was. My head hurt a bit, causing me to feel dizzy and slightly sick. I had a few burns, and my hair had been singed, turning my hair from long blonde locks to my elbows to short uneven ends just below my shoulders. Besides that though, I had no major injuries.

After stumbling into some bushes and throwing up the little food I had in my stomach, I realised that I had lost Micah. She was nowhere in sight, and at first panic struck me, but after thinking about it, I decided it wasn't too bad. I could find her if I wanted too, and if I didn't it wouldn't be the end of the world, we would have had to split up soon enough anyway. Being in the final two together would have been _so_ awkward…

So I sat down for a bit, trying to get my head together and figure out what I was going to do next. I finally decided to get some sleep, and just as I was drifting off, the Capitol anthem started to play. I had completely forgotten about the fallen, and then I thought what if Micah was one of them; I don't know what happened to her after we were split up.

I will admit it didn't fail to shock me. The first surprise was Poe, I had almost forgotten about my poor ally who ditched us a day or two ago. But what if he hadn't ditched us and had just been killed…

Then there was that little kid from twelve, Ashley, I'm surprised she lasted this long to be honest. If it wasn't for the fact that I didn't like her then I would have congratulated her for getting this far.

But what shocked me the most was when Loki appeared in the sky. I thought he would have made it to at least the final five… guess I was wrong. At first I did feel a pang of sadness, he was a sort of friend through these games, but it's his fault, if he hadn't have left us for Savannah, then he would most likely still be alive.

Waking up this morning, I had felt so much better from a good night's rest. My head was clearer, my body didn't ache as much and overall I felt quite refreshed. Then I heard the news, the news about a 'feast'.

I was confused at first, what on earth was the gamemaker talking about? But all was explained, and I realised it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down. I could hear from my parents for one, but I could also gain a weapon. I need any sort, just something for more protection. I lost everything after the explosion, so I'm pretty useless right now.

Not even thinking about it, I took up the offer of gaining something, and here I am now, running to try and find the cornucopia before anybody else.

It's harder than you would think, seeing as I have absolute no clue whatsoever where the cornucopia is. They could have at least given us some clue to remember where we were going, but no, they just like to see us get annoyed at ourselves.

After what feels like forever of running, while both freezing and starving, I finally see the golden glow of the cornucopia. I peer around the edge of a tree, and see that the area is empty, there is just the cornucopia standing in the middle.

I crouch down leaning against the trunk, and decide to wait for whatever is supposed to happen. Soon enough a gong sounds and I see the ground open up, releasing a table which is sent upwards and lands neatly on the ground. On top is nine bags lined up in a random order, and I quickly spot mine, which is in the middle on the right.

This will be fine, I just need to grab it and go, there's no need to hang around, I'll just get out of there straight away.

I sit watching as the first person appears, the small girl from seven. She creeps out of the cornucopia, takes her bag and runs, getting out of the situation fast. Wow, that was a good idea, hiding in the cornucopia, I would have never have thought of that.

Getting ready to move myself, I spot someone else run forward. At first I don't really remember the girl, but it's the fiery red hair that makes me realise it's Reina from nine. She snatches up her bag, but then runs and grabs another. I don't see which one, but it's most likely an allies.

When I think she is safe and has gotten out of there, I see someone run and slam into her, both of them falling to the ground. It takes me by surprise, and squeezing my eyes in concentration, I see that it is Micah that has knocked the girl to the ground.

Well if I wanted to meet back up with my ally, now would be a good time. While the two are fighting, and I can see Micah is winning-no surprise there, I take off towards the bags. I reach the table quickly, and I take my bag in my hands.

I rip it open while running and fish inside for what I have been given. I feel the note first and pull it out, tucking it into my pocket and then I reach in again, where my hand grasps a cold metal handle.

Pulling it out, I automatically know what it is, and flicking my wrist I snap the whip out in front of me. One of my favourite weapons, _fantastic._ I stop by the edge of the trees and inspect the whip. It looks like an ordinary one at first, but looking at the shiny brass handle, I realise the other end is removable. I pull the cover off, revealing a nice, sharp knife. Wow, this weapon is _so_ cool.

I place the cover back on and turn around to update what is going on with the others. To my surprise, I see Reina running off into the trees. Expecting Micah to be injured, I begin to move forward, but I spot that someone else is fighting with her. Confused I get a little bit closer, and when I realise who it is I gasp.

Aria… what is she doing fighting with her?! I can't believe I missed the last minute, did Aria attack Micah? Did she do it to divert her away from Reina? There is really a lot I have missed in these games…

But who does Aria think she is? First she leaves are alliance and then decides to pick a fight with one of the members? What does she think she is doing, obviously I am going to help Micah, and two against one is just not going to work out in her favour…

I have to say though; I would like to see how this fight would turn out. Both of the tributes have trained before the games, and they both volunteered, they probably are the strongest tributes (besides me of course), and I think it would be interesting to see who would come out on top. But of course, I must go help Micah.

I run forward at the two, as they both roll around, taking turns to injure the other. As I near them, I take my whip tight in my hand, knowing that I will probably be using it; I feel it is time to finally take Aria down.

Micah spots me out of the corner of her eye, and gives me a small smile, which I feel is partly because of relief.

I see her thinking for a second, before she gives me a look, and then pulls Aria's upper arms, causing her to be on top of her. Aria punches her hard in the face, but I can tell it isn't her strongest, and that she is feeling weak. Micah falters, but looks for me to move forward and stop all of this.

I slowly walk forward unnoticed by Aria, and I pull off the cover of my knife. The blade glistens in the light and I grin at it mischievously.

Aria must have heard something, because she swings her head round, spotting me in the process. She struggles to move away, but Micah has a tight grip on her.

I lift my knife in the air, and aim straight at the left side of her back, straight at the heart. Closing my eyes and using all my might, I push my hands forward until I feel the knife plunge into her back and when I hear a loud cry I smile in accomplishment.

As I open my eyes, I look up slowly to search for a relieved Micah, but I am shocked to just see a wide eyed Aria scurrying backwards. I stare confused, looking for any signs of wounds, however she just stares at the floor below me, and when I look down all I can do is gasp.

Micah lies on the floor, her hands tightly gripped to her neck and it takes me a second to realise what has happened.

I start to back away, looking from Micah to Aria, Micah to Aria.

"It should have been you! Look what you made me do!" I scream at Aria, pointing my bright red knife accusingly.

"This… this was your fault… not mine…" she mumbles, and before I can stop her she stands up, grabbing a bag from the floor and running off into the woods.

Panicking, I look at a twitching Micah, before I run off in the opposite direction. My throat feels dry, and I don't know what to do. I just keep running and running until I can't breathe anymore.

As a cannon fires in the distance, realisation hits me hard.

I just murdered my ally.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Annalisa Soleil, District 12- Killed by Micah Flay.**

**Micah Flay, District 2- Killed by Mercy Breen.**

* * *

Ooh plot twist! Were you shocked? Even I was and I was writing it!:3

Please review what you think, and thank you for all your previous reviews too.

Thanks for reading, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	47. Day 5, Grieving

_Luka Kingston Jeredi (15), District 10 Male-POV_

Strolling calmly through the arena I search deep into the woods for the cornucopia. If my memory serves me right, it is just beyond these trees. When I heard the news about the feast, I decided to just take my time, and wait till everyone would have taken their own bags before I take mine. What's the point of rushing, my bag isn't going to exactly get up and walk away?

Being in the arena hasn't exactly been uneventful for me; I tend to add excitement to the whole thing. I mean, who would have thought that I would have been the one to kill Loki? But I did, and I was very pleased with myself.

I would have never killed Savannah; she is my district partner after all. I do have morals you know, what do you think I am, a monster? No, my plan all along was to just get rid of Loki; he was probably my biggest competition so it had to be done.

All I had to do was think, how can I get Loki to his lowest? For him to get on his knees and _beg._ Where would it hit him the hardest? I was clueless at first; he didn't seem to be the one to care for many people. It was only when we were all led to each other that I saw that he was with Savannah. The way he just looked at her, told me he had feelings for her. I didn't know whether they were romantic feelings, or just how you would feel towards a sibling, but either way I knew straight away he would do anything to protect her.

So that was it really, I killed him, and now I've moved on. It's what you have to do in this situation, especially if you want to win. If Savannah was smart, she'd move on too, but there's just a small part of me that thinks she won't be very forgiving towards me… ok there's a big part of me that thinks that.

I had to get out of there quickly, I doubt she would be able to beat me in a fight anyway, but it was better off I let her grieve alone. She seemed angry… mostly towards me.

Once I had left, I just found a random spot to camp and slept for a bit. I still had my axe with me, so all was good on the protection side of things. I woke up relatively early this morning, feeling refreshed from sleep. I found some plants to eat, some water to drink, and I was ready to go for today.

After an hour or so, the feast was announced, and I have to say I was quite looking forward to it. I could use a new weapon; my axe has been slightly… overused. And as I said before, I just sat and rested for a while, before heading off in no rush to find the cornucopia. The gong sounded about ten minutes ago, so everyone should be done by the time I'm there.

I seem fairly deep into the woods now, and I can almost see the glint of gold from the cornucopia through the trees… or I could just be imagining it. I have had that problem sometimes…

This time though, my eyes aren't playing a trick on me, and I have in fact reached the edge of land where the cornucopia sits. In front of it is a table with three bags left on it. There is one with the number eight, one with a number ten in blue, and the same but in pink. That means Savannah is still to come for her bag, unless she has decided to leave it and not bother at all. And there is also the male from ten, his district partner was one of the fallen last night, I wonder if he will turn up too?

Looking around, I quickly spot a body lying on the ground, blood surrounding it. Before I can see who it is, a hovercraft appears at lightning speed, drags them up and disappears. Wow… that is so weird. Someone obviously didn't make it out of the feast alive… is it really that dangerous? I mean, all you have to do is grab a bag and go, it's not rocket science. They must not have thought about it carefully enough.

Averting my eyes back to the table, I see that someone has arrived at. Again, I hardly get a look before they have left, but I see that there is only one bag with ten left, which means that someone was Savannah.

I waste no more time, I might as well get this over and done with now. Moving in a slight jog, I make my way over to the table, every so often turning my head to see if anyone is around. Once I have reached my bag, I snatch it up and I decide to head inside the cornucopia, to see what I have been given.

Sitting down on a left over empty crate, I reach into my bag and pull out a small piece of paper. It reads, _'Your mother changed her face, too, Cub. Do not grieve for her now'- Claude._ My stomach turns slightly at the message; he called me cub… my mother used to call me that.

What does he mean? I don't understand… does he think I've changed? Of course I have, I'm a completely different person, but it doesn't mean I like it.

I take one last look at the note, before stuffing it in my pocket. Blinking away the tears appearing in my eyes, I try to forget about it, I can't get upset now. Her and the rest of my family's death happened years ago now, and Claude is right, I shouldn't grieve for them.

I reach for the next item, and my hand pulls out two metal bars. At first I look puzzled, why would I want some bits of metal? I study them for a second, and finally realise what they are.

Holding one in either hand I flick my wrist, which causes the bars to extend, revealing incredibly sharp blades. Grinning, I skilfully spin them between my fingers and then flick my wrists again, hiding the blade. I remember this weapon, they are called 'bladed sais'… and they are really cool.

Tucking them in my belt, I still keep grip of my axe, three weapons are better than two after all. Fully prepared to head out back into the woods, I head towards the mouth of the cornucopia. Peering out, expecting no one to be there, I'm surprised to see the last of the tributes to collect their bags.

I remember the boy's name to be Chase… I just don't remember him looking like… well this. His eyes are sullen, so dark and unwelcoming, and his skin is pale like a dying man. The clothes he is wearing are stained with blood, and I can see patches of the dried liquid staining his skin too. He walks slowly up to the table, oblivious to anything going on around him. He just seems like… like he doesn't care about anything anymore. I wonder what caused him to be this way…

Picking up his bag, he falls to the floor and sits cross legged, beginning to rummage through. I stare in disbelief; anyone could come and kill him right now. Question is… will it be me? He does look incredibly upset, and maybe he wants to die. I could be doing him a favour, if I don't do it now, he could gain an even more painful death later on in the games.

Moving forward, I try and get closer to Chase. I could just kill him quickly, that would be even more helpful. As much as I would kill him, there is still a part of me that doesn't want to. I don't want Claude to be watching me murder an innocent, depressed boy. But then again, I've got to win these games… I need to get home.

I'm now right behind him, my axe in a tight grip. Pulling my arm back to swing, I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my leg. I turn round quickly, to see Savannah standing behind me, spinning some sort of weapon in the air. Before I can move, she throws her arm forward, again something sharp stabbing into my leg. I gasp in pain, before jumping out the way, dodging another hit from her.

"What are you doing?" I shout, moving further out the way.

She stands holding the weapon, which looks like a lasso, but with spikes lining the loop; that was obviously what stabbed me. Her expression is angry, almost terrifying. Chase is now standing up, gawping at what is happening.

"Getting my revenge, that's what!" she screams at the top of her voice.

"But… we're district partners, doesn't that mean something?" I reply, taking my axe tighter in my hand.

"Exactly, that's what I thought Luka… but you changed that… when you killed… when you killed…" she can hardly finish the sentence, her voice quivering at the end.

Again before I can react, she swings the lasso, this time it stabbing me in the arm, but the pain is not as bad.

I can feel the anger burning inside of me, adrenaline filling my veins, pulsing through my body. She wants to start a fight… I'll begin a war…

Running towards her, I lift my axe in the air and drag it down, the sharp metal scratching her arm deeply. She cries out, but moves away swinging her lasso again. She throws it at me, but I fall to the floor and roll out of the way, staying untouched.

Jumping to my feet, I swing my axe again, it cutting the side of her leg. She winces, but carries on moving, swinging her lasso and cutting the side of my face. I scream in annoyance, running towards her again and swiping my axe, it landing deep into her leg.

As I pull the axe back and start to move in the opposite direction, I feel the lasso wrapping round my leg, pulling it to the ground. My body slams into the floor and I spin around and sit up, tugging at the lasso around my leg. The spikes dig in painfully, and I pull them out quickly, red covering the metal.

She pulls it tighter and I can feel it seeping in deeper. Before she can cause any more damage, I pick up my axe and with all my strength and anger throw it towards her. Obviously distracted, she lets go and I remove it from my leg, throwing it out the way. However, I hear a loud scream, but when I look up, she is dragging her lasso towards her and running in the opposite direction.

I try and run after her, but my leg is in too much pain. Why did she scream, did the axe hit her?

I look down at the floor to find a puddle of crimson blood. Following the trail, it leads me in the direction to where she was standing. I soon see my axe, lying on the floor covered in blood. Confused, I pick it up and continue to follow the trail, before I see the source of the scream, and gasp in horror.

On the floor lies a thin, cold, pale hand.

I cut off her hand?

Savannah must be bleeding to death somewhere in those woods… But then again, why did I let her get away in the first place?

I should have just killed her there and then… why am I so stupid all the time! I have to let feelings get in the way of things don't I. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Incredibly annoyed at myself, I spin round and head in the opposite direction, only to find Chase still standing there.

"What are you doing?" I ask almost snarling, I'm extremely annoyed at myself, and he picked the wrong time to be standing there.

"Um…um…" he mumbles, before turning around and starting to run.

The anger gets bigger and bigger, I can feel it bubbling inside. Letting out a screaming roar, I swing my arm, the axe flying out of my hand. I look up surprised, I didn't actually mean to throw it that far, and I watch as it spins in the air towards Chase.

Without him even knowing what's coming, the blade slams deep into his head, knocking him to the ground.

A cannon fires, as I stand looking down at the lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. Not knowing what to do, I turn away from him, and break into a run. When I get far enough, I lay down on the cold floor of the woods, my breath heavy.

Today has been crazy, very, very crazy. But I can't let it affect me… nothing can affect me.

I reach into my pocket and pull out the note from Claude. Without a second thought, I start to rip it into shreds, before it is just bits of confetti lying on the ground.

Claude was right, I mustn't grieve. But now, I must not grieve for anyone in this arena, I must not regret anything I have done. Because that is not what a winner of the Hunger Games would do.

And I am going to be the winner.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Annalisa Soleil, District 12- Killed by Micah Flay.**

**Micah Flay, District 2- Killed by Mercy Breen.**

**Chase Sedesky, District 8- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

* * *

Hey readers, hope you enjoyed this chapter, quite a lot happened I guess.

Just a quick note to say, that sadly I won't be updating till the new year. As it is Christmas soon *excited clapping*, I am really busy, and will be for the next few weeks. I promise you if I find the time I will update, but I think it will be highly unlikely. I hope you understand, as most people are very busy around this time. But I look forward to when I update next!

Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I hope you all have a good next few weeks! -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	48. Day 5, Seeing Red

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

Red. Everything is red. The ground is red. The sky is red. All the beautiful flowers and trees have become nothing but red. My eyes deceive me with the hellish colour.

But it is all a lie, the world around me seems to be red, but the truth is I am the one that is red, covered in it in fact, covered in red, red blood.

My body slams into the cold, hard ground, knocking the breath out of me. I roll onto my back, the pain getting worse, and a small whimper escapes my throat.

How could I have let this happen? I should have been more careful, more alert. Maybe I shouldn't have even gone to that ridiculous feast anyway. If I hadn't, none of this would have happened.

With my left hand, I reach into my pocket and bring out the small note I had received from the feast. Focusing my eyes on the tiny print, I read the message, "I know you can do this, Savannah. I love you so much -Dad"

"I miss you so much Daddy," I whisper, gripping the piece of paper in my hand.

I wish I was home right now. With my family, safe and together. We'd probably be sitting in our warm living room, praying for whoever was left in the games. My family believed in prayer, they always said whether it was a friend, or your worst enemy, if they were going through something bad, the least you could do was pray for them.

Actually, they're probably praying for me now. Every single one of them, wishing for my survival. It hurts just to think of them, it's like my heart is being squeezed until it bursts. Every time I think of them, the grip gets tighter and tighter.

Sitting up, I realise I have bigger issues to think about. I can't push it away anymore; I need to face this problem. Closing my eyes, I turn my head and with a deep breath I slowly open them.

My gaze falls on my shoulder, and carefully moves down my arm. Reaching the elbow some dried blood prints onto my skin, and as I get further down, more and more blood appears. When I reach the bottom of my arm there is an empty space where my hand should be, and the ghastly sight of the bloody, fleshy stump is too much, making my stomach wretch.

I lean over, heaving the little contents of my stomach onto the ground next to me, a horrible taste filling my mouth. When there is nothing left to throw up, I fall back to the ground, tears filling my eyes.

Crying and crying till there are no tears left, is what I want to do, but I can't, otherwise I'll just cry to my near death.

Using my one hand, I push myself up and cling onto a tree, where I pull myself up to my feet. A wave of dizziness takes me by surprise, and I grip onto the tree for support.

I wobble carefully along, still holding onto the tree, towards a nearby shrub, covered in large leaves. Leaning out a shaky hand, I pick one leaf off and press it against the wound. Already I can feel dampness seep through, and my hand is covered in the red substance. I throw the leaf to the floor and pick another one, repeating the same action.

Again, it seeps through soaking my hand and I throw it to the floor again. Repeating it for the third time, the same happens and I throw the leaf to the floor in frustration, feeling incredibly annoyed at myself. Why didn't I ask sponsors for medical equipment? Now I haven't even got the chance, because there is no more sponsor gifts allowed.

Again and again I try to stop the bleeding, but I am just left with a failed attempt and blood covered hands.

I lean against the tree and sink to the floor giving up, feeling weak and useless. What was I thinking? How am I supposed to save myself with leaves? Seriously… leaves! Something as serious as this needs a doctor… which I'm never going to get…

A sick feeling appears again, caused by the sudden realisation that if I don't do something I am going to die.

I can't die, I can't, I need to get back home. But this injury is stopping me…

Luka deserves to die; he deserves to rot in hell for what he has done to me… Loki… and everyone else he has hurt or murdered. He's not sane; he has serious problems in his mind that cause him to act like this. I used to feel bad, but after he crossed Loki and me, I had enough.

I close my eyes and rest my head against the tree. Something isn't right, I feel strange, I feel weak, and tired. Throughout these games, I have never felt like giving up, but something has changed…

A rustle from the trees near startle me, and I immediately jump, reaching out for my spiked lasso.

"Who's there?" I croak.

I spot a shaded figure hiding away, but in the afternoon light I have no clue who it could be.

"I give up…" I mutter, "I won't hurt you… I mean look at me I probably can't even stand…" I call out weakly.

For a matter of fact I probably could stand, but after standing it's walking, and that's just the impossible right now…

"What… what happened to you?" the mystery figure whispers in what I imagine is horror.

I notice their voice is feminine… which means it's definitely not Luka, which I guess is good.

"I got in a fight… my district partner cut off my hand with an axe…" I raise my arm a bit and then just let it drop back down.

She walks forward out of the shade and heads towards me. The girl is very small and petite, and I remember the youngest in the games, her name is Iliad I think…

"Your Iliad right?" I ask.

"Call me Lili," she replies with a slight smile.

I could never hurt this girl… look at her, she's so young. She never deserved to be thrown into this. Looking at her closely, I see that her eyes are very dark, and she seems almost broken… all of this is a lot for a twelve year old…

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?" I ask.

"Twelve…" she mutters.

"Oh…"

"So anyway, I know this might seem weird but… no matter who it was I don't think I could see someone bleed to death, I don't know if it will help…" she shrugs a bag off her shoulders and reaches inside, pulling out a small black box.

She walks towards me but hesitates, spotting me gripping hold of my weapon. She stumbles back but I quickly throw it to the side and then she continues forward. Crouching down beside me she opens up the box, revealing a range of medical equipment.

"Just what I need… Did you get this for your gift at the feast?"

"Yeah, I came out of the feast unharmed; you need it more than me… so you can use whatever you need…" she says.

How could anyone hurt her?

"Your district partner is Luka right?" she asks, her big blue eyes staring at me.

"Yes… have you… um… ran into him during the games?"

She nods, "He's crazy! He tied me and another tribute up… I'm lucky I got away when I did…"

"Sounds like Luka..."

I peer into the medical kit and look around for something I could use. I see bandages, but they won't help me in the long run. I try to think back on everything I have learnt that could help me, but there is nothing in particular that I can think of.

Then I spot some matches and something clicks in my head, but as much as I don't want to do that, it's the only option.

I bite my lip hard until I taste blood, I really don't want to do this… I'm not even sure what to do… but I have to take the risk…

"Lili do you really want to help me?" I ask, staring at her until she nods.

I take a deep breath, "Ok… I'm going to need you to light a fire… I have an idea…"

_Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen (12), District 7 Female-POV_

Striking the match I throw it onto the pile of leaves and twigs I have collected and flames soon start to grow. Savannah stares nervously at the fire, her one hand pressed onto her wound with some cloth to hold the bleeding. She said she has an idea, but she's yet to tell me what it actually is.

After everything that happened with Ashley… I couldn't think straight. It just so happened that I was near the cornucopia when the announcement of the feast was made, so actually hiding inside it before anybody had arrived seemed a good idea. It was, because I made it out completely unharmed, a medical kit in hand. However, the note I was given intrigued me more than anything.

"Iliad, they named you after a Greek story. Please, don't let yourself have a tragic end too; I miss you!" –Hatchet, it took a whole minute for me to get my head around it. Hatchet is my brother, well was I guess, he left months ago. I'd given up hope that I would see him again, at one point I even wondered if he'd been killed, because he never came back for me.

Did he reach the Capitol? Or did he go back to District seven? Did he do it for me?

I'm even more determined to get home now, if it means seeing my brother again.

It wasn't like I was looking for anybody; to be honest I never wanted to see anyone in this arena again, but it just so happened I came across Savannah on my way to find camp. I was in a pretty bad way as it was, still spooked about everything, but when I saw her just lying there, covered in blood and looking like she'd given up, I couldn't just leave her.

Maybe if I hadn't seen her it would be ok, but once I'd seen her I never could have walked away. A stab wound for example is one thing, but someone cutting off a vital limb? That's just too far for me, so if I could help I was going to. I don't know whether I was trying to do a good deed after a bad one, I'm not really sure even now, I just knew I had to help her, if I was in her situation I would hope someone would help me too.

"Lili… you might want to look away…" she says seriously, her face has become paler and she looks like she is going to throw up any second.

"What are you going to do? I don't understand…"

She heaves a long sigh, "Have you heard of something called cauterising?"

I shake my head, "I don't think so…"

"Well, apparently if you burn a wound it stops the bleeding…"

I feel my stomach pang, "You're going to… burn it?"

Nodding, she shuffles over to the fire, "If I was you, I would look away…"

Before I can even protest, she pushes her arm into the flames and lets out a howling scream. I turn away, covering my ears and squeezing my eyes shut. She can't really be doing this, it's crazy!

After I don't know how long, I take my hands away from my ears, to only hear silence. Panic runs through me, did something bad happen? Spinning round, I see Savannah lying on the ground, curled up into a ball.

"Savannah, are you ok?" I ask moving towards her.

A hard sob escapes her, "It…It hurts… so…so…much" she stutters as she hugs her arm to her chest.

I sit next to her and pat her shoulder gently, "It'll be ok, you were so brave there Savannah…"

She begins to cry more now, struggling to catch her breath between sobs.

"Here, let me see," I whisper.

She turns around, eyes red and blotchy and she slowly lifts her arm up. Only now do I realise the horrible smell of burnt flesh in the air, as I see the burnt wound.

"Oh god…" I mutter, "I'll put a bandage on it, you'll be fine."

Slowly I wind the clean bandage round the end of her arm, and she soon stops crying.

"Why don't you lie down? Try and get some rest?" I suggest.

Nodding she lies down, her head resting on my knee. I soothingly stroke her head, as her eyes flutter close, but before she sleeps she starts to mutter something.

"Thanks Lili… you've been more than great," she starts. "I don't know how to make it up to you."

"There's no need, really," I reply, "Now get some sleep."

"No… no listen, if you want to hang around for a bit you can, I can help you, we can help each other, just stay for a bit ok?"

"Sure, I'll stay…" I whisper.

I see her relax a bit, and her chest rises and falls heavily in sleep. It's funny, I'm the younger one, yet I am the one acting like the elder here.

Sadly, I know I can't stay. There's not many of us left, and it would be awkward if we were the last two, its best if I just go now.

I carefully lift her head and move away, before placing it back on the ground. She's safely guarded by the trees; no one will see her while she is sleeping. I collect her weapon and place it next to her and then take the bandages from the medical kit and lay them next to her. I'd leave the whole thing, but I might need something in the future.

Taking my things, I place my bag back on my back and head out into the woods. The sun has nearly set, which means the sky will soon be dark and most of the tributes will probably take camp. It's been getting colder in the arena; no one will want to be walking round aimlessly while frozen to the bone.

After walking through the woods, I reach the edge of what looks like a desert. It would definitely be warm there, it wouldn't be bad to take camp and it seems to be deserted.

Just as I take a step onto the sand, I feel something sharp prick the back of my neck. I carefully turn my head slightly, to see Luka grinning at me.

"What are you doing?" I say gritting my teeth.

"So we meet again Iliad… tell me, have you seen my lovely district partner on your travels, think carefully before you answer…"

"I might have…" I reply.

"I see… being difficult are we? Tell me which direction I should find her, and I'll let you go; if not… well I think you know what I mean." He pokes the sharp object onto my neck even more and I flinch slightly.

"She… she's that way, she's even a sleep, easy kill right?" I nervously laugh and he joins me, but his is more spiteful.

He removes his weapon away and gestures towards the desert, "Well off you go, you did what I wish, I never thought you were the backstabbing type, guess I was wrong."

I look at him for a second, before turning and starting to run. However, I soon feel the sharp pain again and I fall to the floor. I try and push myself up, but I just cough up blood and begin to violently shake.

I feel something being pulled out of my neck, before someone rolls me onto my back. Luka stands over me, some sort of bladed weapon covered in blood in his hand.

"You really think I would have let you go that easily?" he laughs.

I grip my throat, "You… tricked me?"

"Sorry… but thanks for the directions, big help there…" he smiles, before laughing and strolling away.

Lying on the floor, I feel a wave of nausea come over me. He tricked me, and then he stabbed me. I'm never going to see Hatchet again, or the rest of my family. I'm never going to live the rest of my life.

He thinks he's so superior, and now he's going to go kill Savannah and claim another victory.

I guess it's a shame I told him the wrong directions, as I'm _not _the backstabbing type.

As my eyes begin to close, and I let my blood covered hands relax, I realise that I might be reunited with my Mother now. That would be nice...

The arena isn't a place for a twelve year old; it is full of lies, deceit and anger. No, a child like me shouldn't have to do this…

After a minute of violently shaking, a cannon fires and a veil of red closes over me.

I am finally in peace.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Annalisa Soleil, District 12- Killed by Micah Flay.**

**Micah Flay, District 2- Killed by Mercy Breen.**

**Chase Sedesky, District 8- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen, District 7- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

* * *

Happy New Year Everyone!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, again it's sad to lose another tribute, but it has to happen.

Updating should be back to normal now, as I said in my last chapter it was a busy time for me.

I just wanted to quickly say, I really appreciate reviews, but not when they are rude,and not understanding. I'd rather you not update at all if you are going to be like that, especially when I can't reply back to you (guest). Just thought I would say, it's not appreciated.

But anyway thank you readers for sticking with the story, and I hope you enjoy the rest to come.

Thanks, DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	49. Day 5-6, No-one Is Safe

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

Everything hurts. My whole body aches from head to toe. Whether it's the fact that I've had no water or food for the past day or two, or that I just took part in a pretty rough fight, I'm not too sure.

There's no point asking why because I don't know myself. I didn't plan to get into a fight, to be honest I just wanted to get in and out of that feast with no hassle at all. I suppose things really don't go to plan after all, especially in this situation.

The main problem is, is that we have no control of what happens. We can try our best, but with a push of a button the gamemakers could completely turn everything around and we wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

When I reached the cornucopia, the first thought in my head was just get in and out. Don't look around you, don't worry about anything else just be concerned about yourself. After the last few days all I've been worried about is other people, and what I had become. I never wanted to be that person, and it was only when everything came crashing down on top of me that I realised that I should have never let it go this far.

So my aim was to not even run into another tribute, or at least try to. I was in no state to have to kill again. Running to the table of bags, I easily snatched mine up, most of the bags still lying there. I got back to the edge of the woods in no time, pulled out the note from the bag and began to read it.

"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."- _Quote by Marcus Aurelius._

I'm not sure who sent the quote, but I know they meant the words to be sincere. It matched me at the moment perfectly, trying to keep out of the 'insanity'. A few of the tributes left have already become that way, letting themselves getting eaten away by this new life they must lead.

Looking in the bag again, I pulled out a long strap with eight knives tucked into individual belts. It's similar to the throwing knives set I had been given before, only the knives are different sizes and there are more. I had lost the earlier set when everything had happened with the couple's alliance and I had rushed off in a state, so I guess I needed a weapon sooner or later.

I wrapped the belt around my thinning waist and fastened it securely, pulling my jacket over them hiding it from plain sight. As I was about to leave, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I try and resist the urge to look, but my curiosity beats me and I moved forward to get a better look.

A flash of red hair struck me first, and I figured out it was Reina. A pang of guilt hit me; she must have been there to get something for Kyran… yet again because of me. Then I saw someone take her out, literally knocking her straight to the ground. Micah… I always thought she would come far; obviously this is how she does it.

Her hands were closing in on her neck, and Reina squirmed manically on the floor. The only thing I could think of was that I could help her… I could make up for what I had done to them… I could save her.

My legs started moving before I could stop myself, and I was getting closer and closer to the two. By the time I reached them, Reina was so pale she could have been dead, her eyes cold and dark. Not knowing what to do, I took my first instinct and kicked her straight in the head. It was a strange choice I know, but it did the job right.

She flew to the side and landed a few steps away. By this time, Reina had sat up and was clinging onto her throat in pain, staring at me confused. Before she could move, I ran at Micah and dived onto her, kneeing her in the stomach so Reina had time to get away. I pin her down, using all my strength, and look up at Reina with wide eyes.

With this look, I try to signal so much. First, that she needs to go, and run far away from here. Second, I'm sorry for everything I had done to them, and to go and help Kyran.

She probably didn't understand all of it, but it was worth a try.

Obviously understanding the main part, she mouthed the words 'thank you', before scurrying away into the woods.

Micah and I carried on fighting each other, taking it in turns to weaken the other. Suddenly she pulled me above her, and I struck her hard in the face. I found it strange that she forced me above, when it should have been the opposite, and she also seemed slightly distracted. I peered over my shoulder, to see Mercy with a large blade in her hands. I struggled to try and move away; even attempting to grab a belt from my bag, but nothing will work.

With a last attempt, I dragged her around so she was above me, and before I could move to the side Mercy pushes down, her blade stabbing into Micah. I didn't know what to do, I just threw hew to the side of me and started to move away.

Mercy looked utterly shocked, and she started screaming stuff at me, but I wasn't concentrating, I was too busy looking at Micah twitching on the floor.

I blinked the images out of my eyes, and started mumbling stuff to Mercy, "This… this was your fault… not mine…"

And before she could reply, I jumped up and grabbed by bag, running away from the mess.

Now here I am, wandering through the almost too quiet woods, not really knowing what to do next. Although the fight ended up being quite disturbing, I don't feel as bad, I hadn't killed Micah, Mercy did… and she probably hates herself for it.

They were allies after all…

After walking a fair distance, I reach the point where the woods end and what looks like an area of ice starts. It's cold enough as it is, being surrounded by ice will not help. Moving slightly away so the cold breeze doesn't hit me, I take camp next to a shrub full of red coloured berries. Checking them I reassure myself that they are safe, before picking a handful and eating them gratefully. My stomach groans for more and more, but I take my time, not wanting to make myself sick.

It slightly calms both my hunger and thirst, but I know it won't last long. However, I feel the ending of the games will be soon, so hopefully I won't be starving for too long.

Laying my head down, I decide that rest would be nice right now, and an afternoon nap wouldn't hurt, especially after the day I've had.

A loud ringing awakes me in a panic, but once I realise it has only been a few hours, and the ringing is in fact the Capitol anthem, I calm down.

The sky flashes and the first face appears. Micah's face shines with a bright, charismatic smile. Only a few hours ago she was still alive, it really is terrible if you think about it.

Next it's Chase, which makes me feel slightly bad. I'm not sure why, I didn't kill him after all, but I probably messed him up after everything with Jazzy… poor guy.

Iliad is the next death, and it's the one I feel the worst for. I never really knew this girl, but I did know she was twelve. Twelve… that is so young to die… so, so young…

After Iliad the sky goes black and I'm left alone in the darkness.

Resting my head back down, I easily fall into sleep, the faces of the fallen imprinted in my mind and the realisation that there is only six of us left.

For the second time I am awoken, this time by the falling of rain. Throughout the games, there has never been a change of weather, but lately it has been getting colder, the sky darker and now it is raining.

I look up as the hard, cold rain pounds down on my skin, noticing the sky is a horrible grey colour.

I open my mouth, letting the coolness of the drops quench my thirst until it just makes me colder and I have to stop. Moving under a tree, I hug my jacket closer to my body a shiver running through me.

A thick mist has appeared around me, blinding me from anything around. Quickly looking to my left, I notice the ice has disappeared, leaving me with an identical set of trees from my right. The whole space around me looks the same now, and the mist makes it much more confusing.

Weirdly the rain stops, so I move out from the tree, staring up at the sky confused. It's now a bright shade of light blue; however the mist is still around. Before I can even move, the sky becomes grey again, but this time the ground shakes beneath me, almost like an earthquake.

Falling to the floor, I turn on my side to see a tree beginning to fall. I roll out of the way just as it hits the ground and gasping I jump to my feet.

"What is going on…?" I mumble to myself.

Another shake rumbles the ground, and the tree next to me begins to tilt. I break into a run away from the tree, and I just miss it as it crashes.

Every so often the ground shakes, one or two trees falling as well. The change has slightly freaked me out, and I'm not really sure what to do. All I can think of is running, but I can't tell where I am going, seeing as everywhere looks the same.

One more shake erupts, and as I run past a falling tree, I slam into something in front of me, which makes me fall to the ground. Looking up, I see Reina staring back at me, her fiery red hair blown across her face.

"What… what is happening?" she stammers, jumping up and pulling Kyran through the mist towards her.

Before I can reply, a bolt of lightning strikes the sky, soon followed by a growl of haunting thunder.

"I don't know… but I think a storm might be coming…"

The two both look at each other in a panic, obviously uncertain what to do.

Kyran speaks up this time, "What does that mean…"

Staring at them both, I press my lips together nervously.

"It means… that we should be worried… because I think they're trying to tell us that we're not safe anymore…"

No-one is.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! As you might of guessed... or not... the games are coming to an end. There will obviously be a few more chapters, because there is a some more to happen, but just prepare for all of this to come to an end.

Thank you for all your great reviews, but please keep reviewing because I love hearing your thoughts!

Thanks for reading, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	50. Day 6, Holding On

_Kyran Flint (17), District 6 Male-POV_

Reina's hand grips mine as if she was holding on for dear life. My palms are both uncomfortable from the clamminess of the sweat sticking to my skin, but also give a sense of security that I am only a small distance from Reina. At the moment all I really need is to be safe, and I doubt I am going to find it in the midst of a storm.

Aria stands opposite us, looking completely different yet again. When I first saw the girl from four, I thought she looked relatively normal. Some might have said she was beautiful, but I knew they were only looking at her appearance, I see other characteristics that fit 'beauty', and a girl from nine fit that description perfectly for me.

But anyway, she seemed quite quiet to me, then I found out she had volunteered, which made me think why? At first I wondered if she had been put in a similar position to me, one of her siblings may have been reaped. But after seeing her in training I knew exactly why she would have volunteered…

She was competition, no doubt about it, but her timid persona still puzzled me in how she could be a fighter. So that was the first Aria I had seen, then we came into the games, and I saw a dark side to this 'normal' girl. Just looking into her eyes told me she was broken; I knew I had the same look in mine, killing someone has an immediate effect on you, especially when their just as innocent as yourself. That's one thing that Reina will never understand and I hope she never does.

Aria had gone crazy at this point, but after killing Jazzy and then injuring me like she did, I think something finally snapped. She'd realised what she had become, and what pain she had caused to so many.

Later on after the feast, I learnt about the third Aria, which I see now. Reina had explained the situation, how Aria had saved her life and risked her own in the process, just so she could repay her dues. I finally got some medicine, and all my wounds have basically healed, just meaningless scars left in their place. Aria still looks broken, but she has changed, no longer the look of a killer, but of someone who just wants to get home like the rest of us.

We all stare at each other, not sure where to go or what to do. I mean, how do you really escape a storm? Everywhere is just trees; I can't think of one place that we could find shelter… except…

"They want it to end…" I mutter more to myself than the other two.

"What was that Kyran?" Reina asks staring at me concerned.

"The gamemakers… they want the games to end… they want their victor…"

"What? Where did all this come from?" Aria adds.

"Think about it, the arena is just trees now, right?"

They both nod in unison, still confused.

"Now I can bet that the storm is going to continue, trees are going to continue falling, and more and more is going to keep happening… now where is the only obvious shelter in the arena? Where is there plain, empty ground that is known to all of us?"

Aria lifts her head and stares at me, "No… it can't be the end already…"

"They want us to go to the cornucopia… don't they?" Reina replies in a voice which could belong to a small child, her hand squeezing mine.

"I think so…" I whisper.

I can see Reina growing pale, so I pull her towards me, holding her in a tight embrace. She's my rock at the moment, I can't let her break yet, she needs to stay strong for herself. As much as I want to get home to see my family again, deep inside me I know it can't happen. She has to win, every day I've spent with her, has made me love her even more and I'd do anything for someone I love.

We stand in silence, all three of us. Reina and I stay locked together, while Aria paces back and forth, waiting for something to happen.

However, the peace is quickly broken as I see Aria stop pacing, and she begins to stare behind us into the distance.

"What's up?" I ask, as I release Reina and turn around.

"Something's coming… and it's heading towards us, we need to move now!" she announces, and with that I grab Reina's hand and the three of us start to run.

Movement in general has incredibly improved since my wounds have healed. Since the beginning of the games, I hardly had a fighting chance. I had a bad infection in my leg, which withheld me from walking, let alone running, and then Aria stabbed me, which just hurt every time I breathed, so it definitely wasn't a good sign.

Able to keep up with both the girls, we continue running in and out of the spaces between the high arching trees, trying to stay ahead of whatever is on our case. None of us could get a proper look at what it was, so our best bet is to just keep running.

My legs ache after some time running, but Reina seems okay, unless she is hiding any pain. Aria is obviously used to running long distances, because she is a few steps ahead of us, not faltering once. I've noticed every so often she'll look back to see if we're okay, which baffles me if I'm going to be honest. I knew she'd changed, but I didn't think she would be that bothered about us, she most likely wants to get home herself after all.

Taking a quick glance behind, I gasp at what is happening. The ground behind us crumbles, breaking more and more as we run. It has advanced towards us more rapidly since the last time I looked, which must have been only a minute or so ago.

"Look… behind…us," I gasp, taking in panted breaths.

Aria glances round her eyes widening, and she almost falters because of it.

Quickly picking up her pace she begins to shout back at us, "You can't stop, you need to keep running."

Before I can reply, I feel the ground rumble beneath us, and again looking behind me, I see trees are beginning to fall. They almost fall in rows, lying across the large gap in the ground. Suddenly, I see the ones in front of us start to shake, the root of the trees pulling out of the dirt.

Panic fills my head, and I spin my head around to reassure myself that we're fine, to see that the ground is just about crumbling at my heels.

"You need to trust me right now, when I say, you both need to jump," I call out.

And as I feel the ground crumble beneath me and the tree in front fall, I scream as loud as I can, before I reach out and try hold on for my life.

_Reina Luckmere (17), District 9 Female-POV_

Pain rushes through my arms and my hands claw in a tight grip as I try and pull myself up. Trying to keep my grip on the bark of the tree is hard, and I struggle to hold myself up.

Kyran is next to me, in the same sort of position, clinging onto the side of the tree. He gives me a pained look, but lifts the corners of his mouth slightly trying to make me feel better.

"Are you ok?" I ask, still attempting to pull myself up.

"Yeah, just a few scratches, nothing big, you?"

"I'm fine… Where's Aria?"

I start to worry, trying to look around for the girl who saved me.

"Aria? Aria where are you?"

I get no answer, just the gust of the strong wind blowing past.

"You don't think…"Kyran whispers.

"No… no she can't have… she's too strong for that…" I reply, before beginning to call out again "Aria!"

The silence continues for a while, and my head aches at the horrible thoughts of what could have happened.

"Hello? Reina? Kyran?" a familiar voice calls out.

"Aria, where are you?" I shout.

"Hold on, I'm coming…"

Soon enough I see Aria crawling along the tree we are holding onto. She almost looks like some sort of cat, gracefully moving towards us with no worry at all.

Kyran is nearest to her, and she holds out her hand for him to take, "Come on, take my hand I'll help you up."

Kyran shakes his head protesting, "No… help Reina first…"

Before I can argue against him she's already moving closer to me and holding out her hand again.

Gripping onto a groove, I release my other hand and quickly grip onto Aria's. She lets out a sigh of relief and begins to pull me up. It's only when I look at Kyran, I see he is losing his grip.

Just when I think he has gained it back, I see one of his hands slip. Quickly reacting I catch his other hand, but the bark beneath his other starts to crumble and I can see him starting to fall.

I hold on tighter to his hand, and the weight of his body strains my arm.

"Kyran, just hold on and we'll pull you up," I call to him.

I suddenly realise that Aria is actually holding me, which means she is holding the weight of us both, and by the look on her face it is hurting her.

Kyran looks up at me with the same pained look, this time more upset, "No… no you won't… you need to help yourself…"

"Kyran don't be stupid we can get you up fine," even though I'm lying slightly, I know if we try hard enough we can do it. We both might be hurting, but I'm sure we can.

"Reina, I'm not taking the chance of us both dying, I love you too much… Both of us can't win… and I'd rather you did than me…"

As I'm about to protest again, the grip in my hand loosens, and all I can do is scream as I watch the only person I love fall to their death.

"KYRAN!" I scream.

Tears start to pour down my face, and my sobs take my breath away as a cannon fires in the distance.

"Oh my god…"Aria says quietly, her face both shocked and upset.

"No… why did he do that? Why?!" I shout.

Everything feels broken around me, like it has crumbled with the rest of the ground. I needed Kyran to survive, he was stopping me from falling apart… and now I have nothing.

"Reina come on, let's get you up her with me so you're safe…"

But I won't be safe, not when I have to face the other tributes. I thought I could do it, but I can't, I'm not strong enough. What if I have to face a brutal tribute… they'll slaughter me… I'll be lying in pain waiting for it all to end, no one by my side… that's not how I want it to end…

"I can't do this…" I croak, realisation hitting me.

"What are you talking about? Don't you want to get home?"

Home. What even is home anymore? The place where I lie on the cold floor every day, beaten and bruised by _him._ That isn't a home. That isn't even a real life.

"No… I don't… I don't have a home… I don't even have a family…"

Why take away the chance for someone else to get home? I know Kyran wanted me to win… but what's winning when I have to live without him for the rest of my life…

"Thank you Aria… for everything you've done…"

She stares at me confused, "Reina you're starting to worry me, now I know you're upset but you need to climb up before you fall…"

Smiling, I squeeze her hand tightly, "I want you to win this… for the both of us…"

And with that, I let go, letting myself fall into the darkness, not knowing when it'll end. But I do know I'll be safe, I won't hurt anymore, I won't have to be alone anymore.

Because I'll be with him.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Annalisa Soleil, District 12- Killed by Micah Flay.**

**Micah Flay, District 2- Killed by Mercy Breen.**

**Chase Sedesky, District 8- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen, District 7- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Kyran Flint, District 6- Self Inflicted.**

**Reina Luckmere, District 9- Self Inflicted.**

* * *

Shocked? We are now in our final four, how exciting!

The chapter's have been getting sadder every time I feel, but more exciting as well.

As usual I hope you enjoyed it, and please review.

Thanks, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	51. Day 6, A Different Point Of View

Staring intently at the large television screen in front of him, a razor sharp grin of excitement covers the President Maximotus Snow's face, the images on the screen obviously entertaining him greatly. The familiar sound of a cannon echoes through the room, and with a deep chuckle, he presses a button on the remote and the screen goes dark.

"Excellent…very excellent indeed…" he snickers, clapping his large hands together.

Leaning forward onto his desk, he speaks into a small device, "Sapphire I need your assistance…"

Within a few seconds, a petite woman nervously enters the room, closing the door carefully behind her. For someone belonging to the Capitol, she seems relatively plain. Her deep red curls fall to her shoulders, bouncing like coils of a spring and today she wears a simple burgundy blouse with a black pencil skirt and boots.

After walking into the middle of the room, she stands awkwardly, looking down and fiddling with her hands like a small child.

Slowly she peers upwards, her hazel eyes looking dark and tired, "You… you required my help sir?"

"Well of course! Why else would I have called you in here, stupid girl…" he glares at her, tapping his fingers on his mahogany desk, "I would like you to fetch Majika for me."

Sapphire hardly hides the look of fear on her face as she shuffles back towards the door and hurries out. As much as being the Presidents secretary is a very prestigious job, Sapphire always despised her Father for putting her forward and adding a good word in too- no one should have to feel sick with fear whenever they arrive to their own office.

Her boots click along the expensive marble floor, as she makes her way down the hall to another office similar to the Presidents, but not as luxurious. After taking a deep breath, the doors in front of her automatically slide open and she enters.

A long table accompanied by at least ten men and woman faces her as her eyes search for Majika, and quickly they fall on the man sitting at the end of the table leading the meeting. She lets out a small cough to announce her presence, and he looks up startled, rushing over to see her.

"What is it Sapphire? This is really not the time…" he stares at her wildly, running a hand through his greying hair.

Studying his face, she hadn't realised how much it had aged recently, which could be to do with the high amounts of stress he had been facing lately.

"The President would like to see you," she replies, "Now."

Without hesitation, Majika tells the group to continue, before exiting the room quickly.

"Any idea what he wants?" he whispers insistently, after leaving the room into an empty hall.

Sapphire shakes her head in reply, "No, but if it helps he seemed in a good mood… kind of."

Rubbing his tired eyes, he lets out a deep sigh, "Things have been getting incredibly stressful lately, it being the final four and all… have you by any chance been watching?"

Rolling her eyes, she grits her teeth, "What do you think…"

"Oh Sapphire…" his voice becomes a low whisper, "I know you don't agree with any of… well this… but please try and make an effort, it'll just cause trouble for yourself."

Lowering her head to stare at the floor, she tries to hide the anger in her face. Being probably the only person in the Capitol not enjoying the games definitely has its faults.

"I'm sorry, I guess you expect me to be happy that my own Father is partly the reason innocent children are being murdered for no reason," she bites down on her lip again, trying to withhold from saying anymore.

He lets out another sigh, "Now I know you don't agree with what I do, but please try and understand, this was a great opportunity for me, I couldn't refuse… and besides it's not like we care for the districts, if it wasn't for that careless uprising they caused your Mother would still be here…"

It was like he had just punched her hard in the chest, "Do not bring her into this."

Before he could reply, they had reached the Presidents office, and she was already going into her own, slamming the door angrily behind her.

Trying to push the argument to the back of his mind, and also knowing that his daughter was rather stubborn and there was no point arguing with her when she was like this, Majika carefully knocks his hand against the door, before pushing it open and peering round, "You wanted to see me sir?"

Maximotus grins with delight, "Good job Majika, come in, come in, I must talk with my favourite head gamemaker!"

He gestures to the plush, velvet seat in front of him which Majika takes gratefully; since the games began he's hardly slept, let alone sat down for a few minutes.

"So, I take it you have enjoyed the recent events."

Maximotus beams with delight, his newly altered red eyes shining, "They've been delightful! They really have, although I was rather surprised with the two recent deaths… I thought at least one of them would have made it to the finale… obviously not."

Majika tries to avert is eyes away from the Presidents stare, the colour reminding him horribly of fresh blood, "I know, it shocked us all… we only aimed to lose one of the three, not two… I suppose they wouldn't have made it through anyway, it just speeds up the process I guess." He twiddles his thumbs on his lap, finding it hard not to think about the two more deaths that he had caused.

"Anyway, seeing as we have reached our final four, I thought we should discuss each of them, see what we've got, agree?"

Knowing that you should never disagree with the most powerful person in Panem, Majika nods, relaxing back in his chair trying to enjoy the few minutes that he doesn't have to work.

"Great, so first up we have our _lovely _female from District one, Mercy Breen," Maximotus waggles his eyebrows; obviously thinking about Mercy's physical features more than anything. However Majika just laughs, stopping himself from pointing out that she is too young for the President… way too young.

"She's quite the fighter, very determined, and she doesn't seem too affected by the deaths, which is an advantage I suppose."

"And the Capitol seems to like her, the men especially…" Maximotus again shows that strange grin, sending a shiver down Majika's spine.

"Yes… so next we have Aria Oreota from District four, she's been affected by the games pretty hard, her tough exterior seems to have cracked, however she can defend herself, very well actually," watching Aria kill her District partner was a highlight of the games, never expected by anyone, Majika had been in the control room when it had happened, he was the one who had decided to release the mutts after all.

Maximotus nods in agreement, "Yes, yes, I agree she is a damaged one… but she is again quite popular around the Capitol, I feel they liked some of the courageous acts she has committed…" He could also remember that Aria was again popular for her beauty, but he didn't care to mention it, after all Majika didn't seem too amused with the first comment about appearance.

"After that we have our only male left in the games, Luka Kingston Jeredi from District, you could say he wasn't the most…um…sane in the competition." It was a massive understatement; Luka had been a worry to all of the gamemakers, not sure how crazy he could get. Of course they liked to push his buttons, but they always knew when they needed to stop, so he never became out of control.

Maximotus looked deep in thought, thinking about the unusual boy. Luka had always intrigued him, ever since he had heard about his outburst in training. In some ways he admired him for being so determined, he had the highest number of kills and had always tried to make them entertaining for the audience.

"I know he isn't exactly trustworthy… a bit like a ticking time bomb I would say… but I find him interesting, and taken care of properly he could be a great mentor for tributes to come," Maximotus smiles to himself, imagining what he could create of this boy with so much potential.

"Lastly we have Savannah King, again from District ten, she received a horrible injury lately, and yet she's still surviving, got to mean something right?" Majika felt like there was both everything and nothing more to say about Savannah. The girl was strong, no questioning that but she was yet to have killed someone, and that was a problem, would she be strong enough to actually face murdering another human being?

"She's strong I'll admit that, but is she strong enough my friend? The darkness may be too much for her, if she was to enter it, would she be able to stay herself, stay sane?" Maximotus leans forward, tapping his fingers against his desk, a familiar habit he'd picked up, "I think we are done here Majika, thank you for your time."

"No thanks needed sir, out of curiosity, who you would like to win?"

"There is so, so much potential in that arena, any one of them could win…"

Majika raises an eyebrow, "So you wouldn't want any of them to… be treated… differently?"

The President releases a deep sigh, "You know what Majika? I think we should leave them all be, see what happens…"

After a few seconds of silence, the President turns, looking out onto the city grounds, "You may leave Majika…"

He hesitates slightly before heading towards the door, where he is quickly stopped, "Oh Majika, make sure the finale is exciting, we wouldn't want to disappoint anyone now, would we?"

Nodding, he leaves the room, slightly relieved that the meeting was over. With a quick glance towards his daughter's office, he heads back down the hall, towards what would be the most chaotic twenty four hours of his life.

Or what the President would probably call, the most exciting twenty four hours in history.

* * *

I thought this would be an interesting point of view to read about, to see what is happening behind the scenes in the games and I thought it would be the perfect time seeing as it is the final four.

As always I hope you enjoyed it, it was quite different but I hoped you still liked it all the same.

Thanks, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	52. Day 6, An Eye For An Eye

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

Lying on the cold ground, I take deep breaths again and again, trying to feed my lungs with as much oxygen as possible. Turning my head to the side, I see the recently familiar sight of a tree releasing itself from the ground, and falling in my direction.

Using my good arm I push myself off the ground, springing to my feet and with a sudden dive to the side, I escape the chance of being squished like a small bug. I'm not sure what is going on in the arena, the last few hours everything seemed normal… well sort of.

Yesterday was hard for me, after being asleep for what felt like forever, I was awoken by the sound to announce the fallen tributes. Half delusional from the fact I was still slightly asleep, I thought I was imagining it when I saw Lili's face light up the sky. I even looked around expecting her to still be sitting by my side, only to find some bits of medical equipment she obviously thought I would need.

I felt utterly sick; a sweet, kind, innocent, little twelve year old girl had just been murdered; who could do that? It just felt like a confusing dream, she'd basically said she would stay with me; we were going to help each other out. Why did she decide to leave?

Sitting down against a tree, hugging my knees against my chest, I stayed in the darkness, unable to sleep. As the sun rose in the distance, I started to count in my head how many were left in the games. There was me, Luka, Mercy, Aria, Kyran and Reina. Only six of us left… wow… when we began there was twenty four… most of us scared for our lives and just wanting to live so we could get back home.

Day six, six of us left, I've lost two allies, lost the only person I've ever loved, been betrayed by my own district partner, lost a hand, and set fire to my own arm… I'd say it's been a pretty eventful six days.

One thing I haven't done which is both a good and a bad thing, is kill someone. It's good, because I've yet to have lost myself in the midst of the games, I'm proud of myself for that. It's also bad because if I want to win, I'm going to have to kill someone…

The morning sky had become dark, and I could tell it was going to begin to rain. It turns out my prediction was right, as a heavy downpour began to fall. Letting a few drops quench my first, I thought I was lucky for the rain, turns out much worse was to come.

When the first bolt of lightning hit the sky, lighting the arena with a luminous glow, I started to worry that there was more to this strange change in weather. Again I was correct, as I then faced numerous bolts of lightning, mist, rain, and sudden earthquakes which were causing trees to fall, almost crushing me. Which is how I got here now, trying to find somewhere where trees don't fall every five seconds.

Jumping to my feet, I dust off the dirt on my jacket and take a deep breath. I can do this; I just need to get to the cornucopia; that's where there is empty land, and where I can stop myself from being killed by something as stupid as a tree. Then again, what's saying that other tributes have the same idea…?

Knocking me out of my thoughts, a loud booming sound fills my ears. At first I think it was another tree that had fallen, but then I realise it was actually a cannon. I wonder who died…

Beginning to run again, I try to guess who would have died. I hope it was Luka… I know it sounds horrible but it's true, he doesn't deserve to still be alive and breathing, when Loki… Loki is probably being readied to be buried. It should be Luka who is in a coffin, not him.

After a few minutes more of running, I start to see a glint of gold flash threw the trees, signalling that I am close by to the cornucopia. With a sigh of relief, I start to slow, making sure I get to the edge of the cornucopia staying unnoticed.

Without expecting it, another cannon fires making me jump. For some reason I look around, as if the killer is going to be right behind me, but there is only emptiness.

Wait… that can't be right… there's only four of us left now. It feels like yesterday that there were twenty four of us.

I'm so close to home now… I can almost feel the warm District ten sun blazing on my skin…

Peering out at the cornucopia, it doesn't seem like anyone is around. I don't even know who died, so how am I to guess who would venture to the same place as me. Although, now there is four of us left, I'm sure the gamemakers will hope for a final battle soon… they must be extremely eager to find out who their first victor shall be.

Deciding the safest place probably is inside the cornucopia, I start to walk towards it, carefully gripping my spiked lasso in my good hand and looking from side to side for any sight of movement.

I'm about half way, when I hear a crunch of a footstep behind me. I spin round quickly, preparing to use my weapon.

"Oh, I see we meet again Savannah... how nice," Luka calls, walking closer.

A growl escapes my throat and I spit at the floor in front of him. I almost want to smile at his disgusted face, before he hides his emotion and glares.

"Well that's hardly kind behaviour, especially towards your district partner," the corner of his mouth lifts.

"You're nothing to me, you might as well be dead," I smile, "To be honest, I wished one of them cannons was for _you_."

"It's a shame it wasn't then…" he returns a familiar cruel smile.

"Do you know who they did belong to?" I ask, curiosity taking over me.

"Not a clue… though I'm guessing it was most likely that couple…I don't think they could of made it this far."

A silence stands between us, both us not sure when to make a move.

"So what brings you here… to the cornucopia I mean," I ask, slowly taking a step forward, deciding I need to get closer before I attack, but he begins to move to the side, so I move the opposite way and we start to circle each other.

"I'm not really sure… I was trying to find you, finish you off…" he gestures to my injured arm.

I snarl, "Thanks for that by the way…"

He grins, "Your welcome, anyway I would have found you sooner, if that little brat hadn't told me the wrong way."

My face screws up in confusion, "Little brat?"

"You know… the kid from seven…"

"Lili?" I feel sick, bile rising in my throat, he couldn't have… "You killed her?"

"Yeah, it's not a big deal, she was going to die anyway, just one less person to get in my way, you should thank me, I doubt you would have killed her."

I can feel myself getting angry, "She was twelve… Twelve!"

He moves his hand brushing it aside, "What's done is done."

Before he can move out the way, I run forward swinging my lasso, it striking the side of his head. His eyes widen and he presses his hand against his head. When he pulls it away, it is covered in blood. His face screws up, and his hands fall to his belt, pulling out two long blades, a weapon I've never seen before.

Running forward, he swings one across me, but I jump back missing the hit. He tries a second time but I move again and he hardly hides his frustration.

Throwing my arm forward, he just misses my lasso, and he quickly retaliates, slicing my leg with his blade. The pain burns my upper thigh, but I try and hide it, not wanting to show any weakness. I then run forward, hitting my lasso against him. This time it slices his stomach, red seeping through the material. As he goes to hit me with his blades, I kick him in the leg, and he stumbles back onto the floor.

Swinging his legs, he takes out my own feet and I fall as well, my back slamming against the ground. My breath is knocked out of me and I gasp, trying to sit up. However, Luka dives onto me, elbowing me in the stomach.

I try and roll to the side, but he digs his nails into my arm, pinning me down.

_Don't give up, keep trying. _

With all my strength, I swing my hand at his face and it slams into his nose. A loud crack rings in my ears and his face screws up in pain, but he still doesn't budge, he just grabs and twists my arm, slamming it into the ground.

"Face it Savannah, I am stronger than you, I am better than you, I am a winner and you're not, just give up while you can."

I spit at his face, "You'll never be better than me… you might be stronger, yes, but you are a worthless, pathetic excuse of a man, and you always will be… the man you live with, I've seen him around the district, how could you disappoint him like this? He's so kind and he loves you… well he used to love you, I doubt he does now."

His face goes bright red, and I know I've hit a nerve deep down. Even if he kills me now, at least he knows what a terrible person he is.

"You need to shut your mouth before you regret ever opening it…" his words are filled with venom, but I'm not giving up yet.

"Do you ever regret killing the people you have? Innocent children who had their whole lives ahead of them?"

"They would have died anyway…" he mutters.

"That's hardly an excuse…"

"Shut up!" he shouts, his face is inches away from mine, blood dripping from the wound on his head onto my cheek.

Reaching to his side he takes a hold of his blade, and holds it above my heart, the tip piercing skin, "Any last words Savannah?"

I look from side to side, searching for anything I can use to stop him, without injuring myself. My hand still grips my lasso, but how can I use it when my arms are pinned down. My hand finds the cold metal of one of the spikes, and holding it tightly I think of an idea that I hope will work.

In a quick movement, I bring my knees up to my chest, and kick my feet against his stomach, making him rise up. Swinging my feet, I kick the blade out of his hand and it clatters to the side and then in a final move, as he falls back towards me I take the spike and slam it into the side of his neck.

Rolling to the side, I watch as he falls to the ground, his hand moving to the spike deep into his neck.

I dive forward and land on top of, pulling the spike out. He gasps and splutters, his face filled with utter shock. Taking his own blade in hand, I hold it above his own heart.

"Here are some last words," I plunge the blade into his heart and his eyes grow wide, "That's for everyone you killed… especially Loki."

I pull the blade out and watch as his cold eyes roll back and his own cannon fires. After causing so many, I find it fitting that he gets his own.

Wiping the blood onto the grass, I tuck both blades into my belt and pick up my lasso. Heading towards the cornucopia, I realise that I have in fact just killed someone. But he killed so many people…

I remember a saying, 'An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind…"

Was it wrong for me to kill Luka so mercilessly?

I look back and see his hard, dead body lying on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding him, but it just reminds me of how Loki just a few days ago lay the same way…

No, he killed Loki; it was worth it…

It really was.

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Annalisa Soleil, District 12- Killed by Micah Flay.**

**Micah Flay, District 2- Killed by Mercy Breen.**

**Chase Sedesky, District 8- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen, District 7- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi**

**Kyran Flint, District 6- Self Inflicted.**

**Reina Luckmere, District 9- Self Inflicted.**

**Luka Kingston Jeredi, District 10- Savannah King**

* * *

Hi everyone!

Firstly sorry for the late update, I've had half of the chapter written for a few days but I've been so busy that I couldn't finish, so I decided I had to soon and there you go!

I hope you enjoyed it, it was a fun one to write. I just thought I would tell you the plan for the last few chapters...

Basically, as you know there is three tributes left. The next chapter there will be one more death, and then obviously we will have our final two. From there, I will write two chapters, a POV for each finalist. In each one the person telling the POV will win the games (so you can see how both could win). After the two chapters, there will be the final chapter where the victor is back in the Capitol and there will be interviews etc. This is where you will find out who actually won. So no-one (except for me of course) will know who has won the games, until the last chapter! Therefore, there is some suspence and the games last a little bit longer, hopefully becoming a bit more interesting!

I hope that wasn't too confusing and you understand, if you have any questions feel free to send me an inbox! I really hope you like the way I'm setting out the final chapters...

Thanks for reading and please review! It would be cool if in your review you told me who you want the final two to be, and who you think it will be! You don't have to, just a thought...

Thanks, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories :)


	53. Day 6, Sleep Tight

_Mercy Breen (17), District 1 Female-POV_

My body jolts as another cannon fires, and I start to curl into a protective ball. Why does that keep happening? I mean, it's only a cannon, just a tiny signal telling me that I'm a bit closer to winning this. Really, what's so bad about that?

Maybe it's what happened recently, with Micah, that's caused me to put up my guard. Even though she was so strong and experienced in fighting she was still murdered… or maybe the fact that the one who murdered her was me, her ally, probably one of the only people she trusted here.

But it's not like I haven't killed anyone before, there was Brock after all. Although the way I've been acting, you would think there would be more on the list. I'll admit, not letting any of this phase me was probably one of my smart decisions, but it was also one of my worst.

The amount of fear, anxiety and even regret I have had to push deep, deep down so that I can keep doing what I do is uncountable. Everyone watching must think, look at this girl, she has no feelings what so ever… they probably think I'm some sort of robot. I'm not, I'm far from it.

I never wanted to come here, I never volunteered like some of the other careers, I didn't want to die. I have my whole life ahead of me, why would I want to throw that all away?

When my brother, Griffin died, I wanted to make my life worthwhile. He died so young, so when I went into the games it was like I had to do my best to win this.

Making the careers was probably my best option of survival. I had a lot of potential in fighting, but some were much more experienced, so it was best to have them on my side.

I'll admit I might not seem the nicest, the kindest tribute, but we're all the same, we all just want to get home, my way of winning is just different to the others.

Looking up, I see a hover craft appear above to collect the dead tribute. It's quite close actually; the death seemed to happen nearby. Standing up I begin to walk towards the body being lifted into the air, wondering who it actually is. There have been three cannons today, so there are only three of us left. I can't even predict who the other two could be.

I hope it isn't Aria, she was supposed to be the one that died, not Micah. She ditched us at the beginning of the games, betrayed us, I don't want to see her again, so it would be helpful if she was already dead. She would be hard to fight, but she also seemed quite broken when I saw her last, like a scared animal, maybe she isn't as strong as she was before.

It could be the couple, Reina and Kyran, I'm sure alone they'd be easy to take down, but together? That could be a problem.

Or it might be Savannah… there's just something about that girl that angers me. The way she took Loki from us just like that. Look how that turned out for him…

The only one left is Luka who is probably still as crazy as always. Not sure I'd want to run into him, it's not that I wouldn't be able to fight him, but who knows what he has up that absurd sleeve of his.

Pushing some greenery out of the way with one hand, the other occupied by my whip, I make my way towards what I now realise is where this all began, the cornucopia.

Does this mean the games are coming to an end? Do the gamemakers want me to end up here, so we can get all of this over and done with? It makes sense, the sooner we fight, the sooner there is a victor, and the Capitol is probably dying to find out whom that is.

Walking across the distance of land, I have yet to see any sign of movement, but I know there has been, because there was a death here only a few minutes ago.

Suddenly, I see a figure fall through the trees, looking like some kind of wild creature. It's only when they look up, I realise it's a tribute.

At first they start to back away, but then they must realise they have to do this at one point, so they start to come towards me. I begin to walk towards them as well, meeting them half way.

"Aria," I say as we become some meters apart.

"Mercy," she replies, her teeth gritted.

Great, it _had _to be her didn't it?

"You look… a mess," I mutter.

She runs her hands consciously through her matted hair, "You don't look exactly great yourself."

I feel my own hands fall to my burnt hair, it's once glossy shine disappeared a while ago.

"I suppose we should just get this over and done with," I say, my hand gripping my whip tighter.

Instantly her face drops, and I can tell she doesn't want to fight, or in fact try and kill someone. However she doesn't seem to have any weapons on her, so this could be easy for me.

Leaning back, I flick my wrist forward and the end of the whip strikes her face. Yelping, she holds her cheek with her hand. As if something clicks inside of her, the expression on her face changes from hurt to anger.

She moves her hand away from her face smearing red all over her cheek. She then jumps at me, her foot slamming into my stomach. I lean over gasping but when I look up I see she is about to hit again.  
Quickly I roll to the side and she hits the empty space. I flick my wrist again, but she dodges out of the way.

This time I aim for her legs, but she somehow jumps high in the air, flipping in the process. She lands further back doing a few handsprings as well, but I feel like she is showing off just a tiny bit.

Her eyebrows arched, she gives me some sort of smirk before starting towards me.

What happened to the timid, 'wouldn't hurt a fly' Aria I saw five minutes ago? She's almost turned into… how she was before…

Well if that's true, it can't be good for me, because the Aria at the start of the games was skilled, fast, and didn't care_ who_ she killed.

As she nears me in her run, I quickly pull off the handle on my whip, revealing the sharp blade. Aria doesn't notice, and as she jumps at me again I fall to the side on my knees, slicing it across her leg. She falls onto the floor her face screwed up in pain, but she just jumps back up again like nothing happened.

In a fast move she does a handspring towards me, kicking me in the chest. Then spinning on one foot, she kicks me with her other leg in the shin. I fall to the floor but quickly strike her with my whip, slicing her stomach across the middle. As I start to stand up, I hit her again and again so she can't fight back. Red marks cover her skin, and it takes a few hits before she falls to the floor in pain.

Curling into a ball, her body starts to shake like she is crying, and I begin to wonder if I hurt her so bad that she might not get back up again.

"Well…I suppose showing off won't help you now…"I mutter sarcastically, but so she can hear it.

Looking hurt, she sits up holding her hip, "No, I suppose not."

In a quick motion, before I can even see what she is doing, her hand moves away from her hip and something is flying through the air.

Feeling like I've been punched in the chest, I fall to the floor gasping and coughing. Looking down, I see a black handle sticking out just above my heart and I use all my strength to pull it out. Blood starts to cover my shirt, dripping down to the floor.

Everything around me feels like it's spinning, and I have to lie down. _Maybe if I lie down it'll stop everything from hurting so much._

My chest feels heavy, and I start to gulp for air. I hold my hand against where the wound is, but it only makes my hand soaked with blood.

_Maybe if I try and stand up, I can still beat Aria, I can fight this, I'll be fine._

Pushing my hands against the floor, I try and stand up, but my arms give way and I fall back to the ground my head hitting the floor. Am I dying? I don't want to die, I need to win this, I want to live.

Black starts to fill my eyes, and I struggle to keep my eyes open.

_Maybe closing them wouldn't be too bad, it might help the pain._

Aria appears above me, her face no longer angry, she seems upset. Something falls onto my face, it's cold and it falls down my cheek.

Sniffling, she wipes her eyes with her hands and looks down at me, "I'm sorry Mercy, I really am, I know you never really liked me, but I hope you understand I didn't want to do this."

Her eyes look sad and dark, and she grips my hand. _Why is she doing that? Why is she being nice to me?_

"It's okay…" I squeeze her hand back; I guess it doesn't hurt to be nice in return.

Nothing really hurts anymore, it's like I'm falling asleep, I have been tired lately, sleep would be nice.

She smiles, "Sleep tight Mercy, say hi to the others for me."

I feel myself smile, _the others, _I never really made any real friends here, but I will get to see someone I care about. Griffin. I look forward to seeing my big brother again soon.

I think of Aria, the regret on her face. She's caused the death of so many people; will it all be worth it in the end? Having to live with the fact you're a murderer for all of your life…

I'm not sure I would like that.

Maybe winning isn't so great after all…

* * *

**Fallen Tributes**

**Caleb York, District 9- Killed by Micah Flay. **

**Lin Jacobs, District 3- Killed by Poseidon Hensworth. **

**Oliver Istas, District 12- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Jackal West, District 5- Killed by Kyran Flint. **

**Tess Hardy, District 6- Killed by Loki Braveheart. **

**Brock Stern, District 11- Killed by Mercy Breen. **

**Araluen Osman, District 2- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi. **

**Itzel Minx, District 7- Killed by Ashley Blake.**

**Kadence Smith, District 3- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Poseidon Hensworth, District 4- Killed by Aria Oreota. **

**Flair Rhodes, District 5 - Killed by Micah Flay.**

**Jazzy Kaede, District 8- Killed by Aria Oreota.**

**Ashley Blake, District 11-Killed by Iliad Quarmen.**

**Loki Braveheart, District 1- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Annalisa Soleil, District 12- Killed by Micah Flay.**

**Micah Flay, District 2- Killed by Mercy Breen.**

**Chase Sedesky, District 8- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Iliad 'Lili' Quarmen, District 7- Killed by Luka Kingston Jeredi.**

**Kyran Flint, District 6- Self Inflicted.**

**Reina Luckmere, District 9- Self Inflicted.**

**Luka Kingston Jeredi, District 10- Savannah King.**

**Mercy Breen, District 1- Aria Oreota.**

* * *

So that's it, we have our final two. Aria Oreota and Savannah King. I hope you are all happy with the two, it took a lot of thought but I finally decided they were the best choice.

Remember that the next to chapters are the 'What If?' chapters, so they do not actually tell you the real winner. The winner will be announced on the final chapter, when you see who's POV it is.

Please review what you thought, and feel free to inbox me any questions about the story.

Thanks, -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	54. Day 6, The Final Battle

**Remember these are only 'What If?' POV's... **

* * *

_Savannah's Victory_

_Savannah King (15), District 10 Female-POV_

Everything feels like a dream as a cannon fires. It doesn't seem real; I can't believe that I'm in the final two.

I sit on the floor inside the cornucopia, my legs hugged to my chest and my hands gripping onto the ground, holding tight to reality.

The main question that I need the answer to is, who am I about to be fighting? It'll be the biggest fight of my life, as it is my last chance of survival.

Slowly standing up, I lean against the cold metal taking deep breaths. _You can do this, you will win this._ Carefully moving towards the entrance, I make sure I make as little sound as possible, not wanting to let my opponent know I'm here.

Peering slightly round the edge of the wall, I see a female tribute crouching on the floor, their head in their hands. She looks sort of distressed even on the edge of pulling out her hair.

I take another step forward, but some leaves beneath me crunch making an echoing sound. The girl spins her head round, and I immediately recognise those alarmed bright green eyes, Aria.

Really? It had to be Aria? Probably one of the most skilful tributes here…

Immediately I want to run, far, far away, deep into the woods where I'll never be found. The problem is I would be found, I can't hide anywhere anymore, the gamemakers have complete control over me and there's nothing I can do about it.

Do I even have a chance in beating her? I mean look at me, I haven't got a hand! Every time I look at this stupid injury I just want to cry, that's what I would have done a few weeks ago anyway. But I'm a new person now, and the new Savannah killed someone only a moment ago with just one hand, so there really is no point crying about it.

Aria stands up, and looks around suspiciously, "Who's there?" she shouts, but I reply with no answer. "You might as well come out; there are only two of us after all."

After making sure the bladed sais were tucked securely in my belt, and that I had my lasso in a tight grip, I slowly take a few more steps into the clearing so I am able to be seen. Aria spots me, but doesn't move, so I continue forward.

I stop when we're at a distant that we couldn't touch each other but we could hear each other clearly.

"God… what happened to your hand?" she asks, staring wide eyed.

"Luka…" I say rolling my eyes.

I swear I see a smile nearly flash across her face, but then it's as if we both realise where we actually are, and that now really isn't the time to be having a friendly chat. I awkwardly bite my lip, looking down at the floor.

After a few seconds of silence I decide to speak up, "Listen… I don't want to kill you… I don't want to kill anyone, and maybe you're the same, but it's going to have to happen, so we might as well fight and get it over and done with."

She screws up her face, almost cringing at the thought of the last battle we'll both have, even though one of us will come out better off than the other. Nodding, she takes a step forward, readying her weapon, which seems to be a whip.

As I begin to run forward, trying to get the first advantage, the ground suddenly starts to shake. We both gasp and fall to the ground, gripping the floor trying to stay still.

Cracks form in a circle, outlining the ground we are on, and they start to break apart, becoming large gaps.

I look around and realise what has happened. We're left on a plain piece of ground, like a tiny arena. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, just the two of us and the weapons we have.

Seeing as Aria is still on the ground, I jump to my feet and run and swing my lasso towards her, the spikes scratching her across the chest. Now I'm closer to her, I can see she has been through a hard time too.

Nearly every bit of visible skin on show is a deep red, covered in bruises and scratches. Her right cheek has lines of blood trickling down it, blending in with the dirt and other substances that cover her. She's definitely far from the perfect looking girl I saw a few weeks ago.

Jumping up, Aria cracks her whip causing me to jump back and then she repeats the action, this time hitting my legs.

The strike of the material stings, causing my legs to buckle but instead of just staying still I roll to the side and get back up, giving myself a few extra seconds.

I feel another rumble in the ground, and when I look to the edge I see it is crumbling away, slowly making its way to us. It's like their giving us a time limit for one to kill the other, when the ground reaches us, there should already be a victor.

Aria runs towards me, she still holds the whip but she holds it the other way round, the end of it now being a blade. As much as it isn't good for me, that is a pretty good weapon.

She swings her arm in an arc and the tip of the blade just scratches my arm as I dodge to the side. Repeating the action I dodge it again, swinging my lasso which catches her feet knocking her to the ground.

Backwards rolling away from me, she gets back on her feet and reaches to her belt where she takes out a knife. Before I can even move out the way, the blade is already lodged into my shoulder.

Trying not to cry out, I rip out the knife and throw it back at her, giving a spin to the throw. It slices through her upper arm, but doesn't seem to hurt her too much.

The ground has now become closer, giving us an even smaller battle field. Wasting no more time, I run at her, letting my hands fall to my belt.

She is also raising her larger blade and as I come towards her she starts to bring it down. Instead of running straight for her, I carry on past her, and then take a sharp turn so I'm at her side.

As she turns towards me swinging her blade towards my neck, I grab one of the bladed sais and stab it deep into her stomach.

She drops her blade in shock, and grips her stomach tightly, pulling out the bladed sais. As she leans over coughing up blood, I take the other blade and slam it into her back over her heart.

She falls to the floor and rolls onto her side gasping, and as if she just gives up, in just a few seconds her eyes go dark and she stops moving, causing a cannon to fire.

All I can do is stare in shock, as the ground breaks away beneath her and she falls into a pit of darkness. A gasp escapes my throat, and suddenly I find myself sobbing in shock, not even sure what just happened.

The ground has made a sort of podium, and I stay on my knees digging my fingers into the ground. Everything feels like it is spinning, can this even be real?

It feels like all of this was a dream, that the games aren't even a real, and this is just a cruel trick my mind is playing on me. But I know it isn't.

The Capitol anthem starts to play and I stare up at the sky waiting for something to happen.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you the victor of 'The First Annual Hunger Games', Savannah King from District ten!"

This can't be right… I'm not a victor… I never have been and I never will be. How have I won, when I will have to live with the murder of innocent people weighing me down for the rest of my life? That isn't what I would call winning…

Why did I never realise this before… of course I'll be seeing my family again, that's great… but will they just see me as a murderer? Isn't that how everyone will see me now? As a merciless, blood thirsty killer that would give up everyone else's lives for her own… That isn't me… is it?

To everyone now, I might be 'Savannah King, The Victor', but to myself…

I will have always lost.

_Aria's Victory_

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female- POV_

Wiping away the tears from my eyes, I crouch down by the floor trying to get my head around everything.

Final two, just one person standing in my way of getting home. I need to win this, whatever it takes.

Killing Mercy, it was hard. As much as we never saw eye to eye, no-one deserves to die. She wanted to get home as much as I did, just like everyone else…

I decided when I saw her that I couldn't keep acting how I have been, where I keep crying and acting weak. Whatever happened to the Aria I used to be at the start of the games? Strong and independent, she would do anything to win.

So I pushed everything away and started being who I used to be, and it worked. I mean now I feel terrible, but if I could do that once I'm sure I can do it again.

Hearing a sound nearby, I stand up and turn round, "Who's there?" I shout, "You might as well come out; there are only two of us after all."

The sooner I find out who I am facing, the sooner I can figure out what I'm going to do.

Savannah appears from the cornucopia, staring at me blankly. She slowly moves towards me, but I stay where I am, its better she comes to me after all.

My gaze falls to her arm where I see that her hand has been… removed… and I feel myself stare in shock.

"God… what happened to your hand?" I ask, staring wide eyed.

"Luka…" she says, rolling her eyes.

I almost smile at her attitude towards her 'delightful' district partner, but then I realise this is no time for friendly jokes, seeing as I could be killing her in a few minutes.

Savannah then speaks up, "Listen… I don't want to kill you… I don't want to kill anyone, and maybe you're the same, but it's going to have to happen, so we might as well fight and get it over and done with."

It's as if she knew exactly what I was thinking, and I cringe at the similarities in the two of us. Neither of us want to kill people, although I'm sure I've killed many more than her.

Deciding to in fact get this over and done with, I step forward and raise my… well Mercy's whip… in the air. But instead of us beginning our final battle, the ground starts to shake beneath us.

I gasp and fall to the ground, trying to keep myself from moving, as I watch the ground around us start to part, forming a small piece of land for us to fight on.

Looking up to see where Savannah is, I see she is already running towards me and a spike on her lasso scratches across my chest. It hurts more than it should, because it scratches another deeper injury I gained from Mercy earlier. She did leave me in quite a bad way; my skin is raw where it was hit so much. But I can deal with it when I go back to the Capitol, it can't affect me now.

Still on the floor, I swing my legs to the side and take out her own, causing her to tumble to the ground. I bring down the whip onto her face and it leaves a painful mark, similar to some of my own.

She rolls to the side before I can leave another hit and jumps to her feet. We both stand opposite each other, waiting for the other to make the next move.

In a quick move, I pull out a small knife from my belt and throw it forward, the blade landing in her bad arm, _exactly _where I wanted it to go.

She yelps pulling it out, and throws it back at me, but I roll out of the way dodging the hit. I throw another small knife but she dodges it to the side.

The ground starts to shake again, and more of it starts to fall away, causing the space to get smaller.

Seeing as I'm not really used to using a whip, I take off the blade cover and run at Savannah. I slice down at her body, and it leaves a deep cut in her stomach.

She moves to the side again and around the back of me, using fast movements to confuse me.

As I spin round, she pulls a blade out of her own belt and stabs it into my stomach. I gasp, gripping hold of the handle and pulling it out. It didn't go too deep, but it still could be a fatal injury if I don't get it treated and it bleeds out.

With an angry growl, I throw my large blade away from me and dive forward, throwing both Savannah and I to the ground. We roll around on the floor, and I punch her hard in the face multiple times, trying to tire her out.

She attempts to fight back, but we both know I am the more skilled at hand to hand combat. She tries to reach for her other blade, but she can't fight me at the same time as well. She attempts to use her lasso, but I dig my nails into her arm and she lets go, so I take it myself and throw it to the side off the edge of the land.

It's only then I realise how close to the edge we've gotten, and it seems Savannah has too.

We both look at each other but I am the one who has grip of her, "I'm really sorry to do this…" I whisper, and I roll to the side throwing her away from me and off the edge.

All I hear is a scream, as I crawl away, only now realising how much my stomach hurts… maybe that wound was worse than I thought.

I press my hand to where it is bleeding, and wait for her cannon to sound, but it doesn't seem to come.

In a lot of pain, I slowly crawl over to where I pushed her off, where I see a struggling Savannah gripping onto the edge of the land with only one hand, her stump not really helping at all.

"Please…" she cries, reaching out her arm.

I stare at her pitifully, not sure what to do, is it really worth helping her?

"Like I said, I'm really sorry," I reply, and taking one more knife I stab it into her good hand, and watch as she loses her grip, and falls into the darkness.

A cannon soon fires and I lay on the floor surrounded in both Savannah's and my own blood.

Suddenly, everything comes crashing back down, and I'm brought back to the real world, back to the real Aria. My hand falls to my mouth, and I gasp realising what I've just done.

I've just won The Hunger Games.

Everything is a blur as the Capitol anthem starts to play.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you the victor of 'The First Annual Hunger Games', Aria Oreota from District four!"

No… this doesn't feel right… I shouldn't be victor… I'm a murderer…

The arena starts spinning, and my head starts pounding.

I fall back, into my own darkness, just like Savannah. But I know that I'll have to face the light again, face my problems, and face what I have done. Maybe I'm the one worse off; maybe it would have been better if I had died…

I've finally gotten what I wanted, I'm finally the victor…

But was it really worth it?

* * *

So that's it, the final battle is over. Now you will have to wait for the next chapter to see who the real victor is...

(I'd just like to quickly apologise for the late update, my school just loves giving me homework...-_-)

But anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I decided to just put both the POV's in one chapter, so the real victor can be revealed sooner. Please bare with me if it takes a bit longer to right the next chapter, as there will be a lot to right about.

Please review what you thought and also tell me who you think the victor will be!

Feel free to inbox any questions as always, and I look forward to you reading the next chapter! (Even though it will be sad, it being the last chapter of the story after all...) :(

Thanks so much for reading! -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


	55. The Victor

_The Victor_

_Aria Oreota (18), District 4 Female-POV_

My eyes open sharply and a mess of confusion takes over me. Where am I?

It's horribly dark, with one uncomfortable spotlight blaring down on me. Colourful blurs glide past me, murmuring things which I can't make out. I should get myself up; I'll be able to see where I am… God I hate the dark…

Then everything comes crashing down on top of me. The games… Savannah… that horrible darkness… Wait… does this mean I won? I can't believe it… I actually won…

Attempting to sit up, I push myself up on my elbows, but instantly fall back down, pain shooting through my body…

I can't say anything… Then again I don't want to say anything… They all stare at me with admiration, but there is nothing to admire about me. I'm a murderer… and I had almost forgotten as well.

I had thought that forgetting everything I had done to win this wouldn't hurt, but it does.

"Hello Aria, how are you feeling? We've stopped the bleeding in your stomach now, so you should be fine," a man standing next to me says.

All I can do is stare at him, and he looks at me puzzled.

"Everything's okay…" he whispers, moving his hand towards my shoulder.

Instinct takes over me, and I let out a high shriek, punching him square in the face. The man falls back holding his bleeding nose, anger filling his eyes. A few people start to move towards me, and I feel myself stand up and start to back away against the wall.

"You're safe Aria…" an older looking woman says holding her hands up in the air.

How am I safe? I'm in a room with people who watched me murder innocent kids. How am I supposed to know if they don't want me dead too?

"Stay away from me…" I hiss.

"We only want to help you…" she replies.

Looking to the side of me, there is a mirrored wall which holds my reflection. But it can't be me… at least it doesn't look like me… My skin no longer has a golden glow, but is covered in dirt and blood, plastered with bruises and scratches. What used to be long, brown, flowing hair, is now short and singed, knotted around my head in a horrible frizz. I wouldn't even recognise the oh-so-perfect girl everyone thought I was back home.

When I look away, everyone is gawping at me again. What do they want? What are they going to do to me?

Looking around for something I can use for protection, I spot a pair of scissors lying on a table nearby. Before they can stop me, I leap for them, pushing through all the pain. I grip them hard my knuckles turning white, holding them up to the woman. She looks shocked her mouth wide and turns to the rest of them.

"She's not ready… put her down…"

About four men run towards me and hold down my arms and legs while I kick and scream, while the woman is given a large needle and stabs it into my arm, pushing down hard on the plunger.

"Get some rest victor; you have a lot in store for you…"

And then everything goes dark again.

"Aria…Aria can you hear me?" A familiar face stares at me, "It's me, Wavell, how are you feeling?"

I realise I'm no longer in that terrible dark room, but now in a lavish Capitol bedroom. I push myself up to a sitting position on the bed I am lying on and rub my sleep deprived eyes.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I groan.

"Darling, have you forgotten the last six days!" she grins at me and pulls me into a hug, "Congratulations by the way, I knew you could do it!"

I stay in the awkward embrace for a few seconds, knowing Wavell wouldn't cause me any harm. She's probably the only person I actually know in the Capitol after all.

When she lets go, I pull the satin bed sheet closer to me like some sort of security blanket.

"Please don't…" I mutter, "I hate myself as it is, I don't want to be congratulated for it…"

"What do you mean?" she asks looking confused, "You shouldn't hate yourself, everybody loves you!"

All I can do is stare at her with shock, "Love me? I'm sure Savannah's family doesn't_ love_ me! I'm sure Mercy's family doesn't _love_ me! To be honest I'm probably the most hated person in the whole of Panem at the moment! So don't say that everyone loves me, because they don't!"

Before she can even reply, I burst into tears holding my face in my hands, "I'm so sorry Wavell, I didn't mean to shout at you, I'm just a mess at the moment."

"Its fine," she whispers, gently squeezing my hand.

"What is wrong with me?" I shout, scrunching up my fists into the mattress, "I feel terrible, I look terrible…"

"You obviously haven't seen yourself then…" she replies. She smiles, but I can tell she is hiding something.

"Wavell… what is it?"

Looking down at my hands, I suddenly notice how immaculate they look… and my arms do too… very different to how they were some hours ago.

I slowly pull the sheets off of me and look down at my body. Even though I am in a baggy night gown, I can already see some… alterations have been made.

"Wavell… please tell me what the hell is going on!?" I screech jumping off of the bed towards a mirror.

She scrunches up her face not sure how to explain, "You see… when you came back…you looked really bad… you were so bruised and bony… there was nothing to you, that's how skinny you were!"

"Well that's what happens when you don't eat properly for a week!" I protest.

"I know, I know…anyway the doctors put you on a medical drip to get you back to health, and then they used some 'Capitol Magic' on you, basically clearing up all the marks on your skin, all the scars…"

My hand falls to my stomach and I feel for what should be a scar from where Savannah stabbed me, but there is nothing, even when I look there is just a faint line in its place.

"Afterwards, the President thought while they were fixing you up, they could make a few changes to you physically, you're a beautiful girl, and they wanted to exaggerate that."

Staring at myself in the mirror, my old athletic build has disappeared, replaced with a new set of curves. My chest has doubled in size, but they have kept my tiny waist so they seem even bigger. Suddenly feeling like a hundred eyes are staring at my new body, I pull a cardigan out of a wardrobe and tug it round myself.

No longer a scruffy mess, my hair is now back to how it used to be, somehow grown to its old length and with some golden highlights added. Even my eyebrows and eyelashes have been tinted, making my eyes 'pop' even more than usual.

Finding myself grabbing at my face and body in shock, I turn to Wavell looking for answers, but knowing I won't get any.

"Why? I hardly even recognise myself now, it's going to be obvious to everyone that they have done all of this!"

"They probably don't care Aria…" she whispers leaning in close to my ear, "You're theirs now… be very careful what you do from now on, do you understand?"

Before I can ask what she is going on about, she quickly hugs me and leaves the room in a rush. What does she mean? Am I in danger?

Feeling overwhelmed, I pull my knees up to my chest and hug my body close, feeling familiar sobs escape from my throat.

Why did they do this to me? First they change me mentally, by sending me into the arena, and now they've altered me physically? Can they not just leave me alone for five minutes?

Coincidentally, a heavy knock rattles against the door and a familiar looking man walks in. Wiping away the tears from my eyes, I realise exactly who it is and move off of the bed.

"Well, well, well, they really weren't lying when they said you looked beautiful." The President smirks, slowly walking towards me with that razor sharp grin of his.

Hugging my cardigan to my body, I stand expressionless, not wanting to even look at him, let alone speak. If it wasn't for this evil, malicious, man I would have never been made into the girl I am now.

He reaches a large, grimy hand to my face, stroking my cheek. It takes all the will power I have not to kill him with my bare hands.

"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" he chuckles viciously, "You are awfully rude, not even greeting your president," his hand has now moved to my arm, squeezing it a bit too tightly, but I make sure not to flinch, I've been through much worse, "Speak girl!"

Replying with silence and a blank expression, he releases a frustrated groan which switches into a deep laugh, "Oh so you want to be a problem then?" He takes my arm and tugs it hard towards him, his long fingernails piercing my skin. His wiry lips are nearly touching my ears, his warm breath smelling of expensive liquor, "Listen girly, you think you can defy me? You will listen to me, you will do what I say because if you don't…" he pauses, a smirk etched onto his face, "You_ little_ victor, will be joining the rest of _them_ in the ground."

I gulp and slowly nod in agreement, his grip loosening. He can't be serious… can he?

"Good, so we understand each other then?" he asks smiling almost viciously.

I stare straight into his eyes, "Yes Sir."

"Great, now stop hugging yourself like a mental patient, you should be very proud of your new self."

As my hands fall away I see his eyes scan my body and he smiles, as if he can see under the nightgown. I dig my nails into the side of my leg, trying to resist the urge from smashing my fist into that ugly face of his.

"Perfect, they're going to love you." He whispers.

Who are? What is he talking about?

Strolling forward he leans toward me and kisses my cheek lightly, before turning and heading to the door. Just as he is about to leave, his eyes meet mine, "Remember, you will _not_ be a problem."

I fight the need to scream and reply politely, my voice coming out tired and raspy, "Yes Sir."

The door then slams behind him but I can still hear his feet tapping down the corridor, his voice drumming inside my head.

_You will not be a problem._

_Tendrils of icy air bites at my skin, causing a hard shiver to climb up my spine. The deserted land I stand on causes an eerie silence, resorting to me looking over my shoulder every minute._

_Everything feels so familiar, yet there is an alien touch to it all, sort of like déjà vu. Why do I recognise this place so much?_

_Footsteps echo behind me growing nearer and nearer. Slowly I spin on my heels becoming face to face with a cold set of eyes. But these aren't normal eyes; they're black holes, containing no feeling, no emotion. They're skin is pale and ghostly, covered in cuts and bruises, and they also project the smell of a rotting corpse. When they speak, it comes off as frozen and robotic…_

"_Hello Aria."_

"_Oliver?" I gasp, slowly backing away._

_He follows me, "Why did you do this to me Aria? Why?_

"_I'm sorry… I had to…" I reply shaking._

_Trying to get away I hurry backwards, but only find myself running into something, or more like someone._

"_Poe!" I cry having to resist the urge to hug my district partner, even though he smells slightly of moulding flesh._

"_Why did you do this to me Aria? Why?" he repeats the same words Oliver did, but they hurt more coming from him._

"_You know why Poe! I eased your pain… you were going to die anyway!" I argue, tears springing to my eyes. I've always hated myself for Poe's death, even though the actual reasoning behind it was a kind gesture on my behalf._

_The two boys move closer to me and it all becomes too much, my knees giving way beneath me, "Please, please forgive me I just wanted to live!" I plea, curling into a ball covering my head with my bony hands protectively._

"_Don't you think we all wanted to live Aria?" two new voices state in unison._

_Raising my head I see Jazzy and Chase standing together, blood dripping down to the floor from their linked hands._

"_Why did you do this to me Aria? Why?" the same words as the others repeated again by Jazzy in that similar mechanical voice. _

_All of them take another step forward, inching closer and closer to me. I suddenly realise there are a few more faces that have joined, Reina and Kyran._

"_But…but... I didn't even kill you! I helped you!" I scream, wanting to grab them by the shoulders and shake them into realisation._

"_You might as well have…" they reply icily._

_Tears are now streaming down my face and I wipe away at them frustrated with myself. Why do I keep getting like this? I had to do the things I did… didn't I?_

_Out of nowhere I feel a hard tug on my hair, jolting my neck backwards. A clump of hair in their hand, Mercy looks down at me with a look of disgust, "Why did you do this to me Aria? Why?"_

"_Stop saying that!" I scream covering my ears, "Why can't you just leave me alone?"_

"_Why couldn't you just leave us alone?" another voice asks angrily._

_Savannah stands in front of me, her lasso swinging in her grasp. Attempting to run away, a few of the others move forward clasping my limbs to the ground._

"_Please! Please let me go!" I scream trying to kick my legs to free myself._

_Savannah gracefully hooks her lasso around my neck and clutches it tightly._

"_You deserve this…" she spits._

_With a hard tug of the rope and a loud crack, everything goes black, and I'm left with the echo of their voices._

"_Why…Why…Why?"_

Jolting to an upright position, a gasp escaping my lips, I grip hold of my covers rocking back and forth.

_It was just a dream, just a bad, bad dream._

Crawling out of bed, I search for a towel to wipe away the nervous sweat sticking to the back of my neck.

Escaping from the horrible images of the nightmare, I pull open the door to my room and quietly pull it to a close behind me. Silently I pad through the hall, my mind unfamiliar to the surroundings, not sure where to go, which corner to turn round.

After a few unsure guesses, I find the large living room which is seemingly empty, besides the two avoxes standing in either corner. The television flickers and looking closer I realise it is showing an image of myself. Besides it is Carlton Flickerman, that overly enthusiastic grin on show as usual. He rambles on about the games which is to be expected I guess. It has only been a day or so since and I'm sure it is the talk of Panem at the moment.

Sitting on the edge of one of the seats scattered around, I avert my attention to the screen, listening intently.

"Aria Oreota from District Four has been crowned The Victor of the First Annual Hunger Games!" Carlton exclaims like it has just been announced… maybe this is a repeat of an earlier showing?

"Make sure you tune in to my show in two days' time, where I will be interviewing the amazing girl herself!"

Wait… I have to be interviewed? I thought I had escaped the cameras for at least maybe three or four days, they really don't waste time around here. Honestly I could really do without it; I don't exactly feel like talking about anything that's happened.

"Now just for all you citizens of the Capitol are some clips of Aria in action!"

Dread washes over me as I search round crazily for the remote before I have to see anymore. Clips are already being shown; the first is me running into Oliver… I'm holding something… Oh no…

"WHERE'S THE REMOTE?!" I scream at the avoxes, running over to one and shaking them hard.

They both stare at me in shock as I sink to the floor, my hands running through my hair and holding it tightly in fear. The screen is now featuring Mercy and I…

"Please…" I cry, "Please make it stop, I don't want to watch anymore…"

One avox scurries over to a table and snatches up the remote, sharply pressing a button causing the screen to darken.

Holding on to the wall I pull myself up and lean against the cool concrete, secretly wiping the tears off my cheeks with the back of my hands.

"Um… thank you…" I whisper, before running out of the room in shame and slamming my bedroom door, deciding the safest thing to do would be to stay here for a while.

"You look utterly flawless!" Wavell gushes, her hand over her heart.

After being eventually forced out of my room and made to eat a morsel of food (not a lot would stay down after all,) I was told about the interview I already knew about, and was immediately sent to try on my dress for tonight.

The piece really is beautiful. The sea green dress starts similar to a corset, having a low neck line (why am I not surprised?) which then moves down to my waist where it is pulled in. It then flows out into layers and layers of material, stretching out across the floor like a train. Down the side of me are red rubies which travel down through and across the skirt, sparkling in the light.

At first I thought it was just a pretty touch, but then I realised that it was supposed to look like I'd been in battle and sprayed with something else that is also red. Wow… they just won't let me forget now will they?

Even in the dressing room I can hear the cheering crowd scream my name in excitement. My palms are damp with nervous sweat and I have to stop myself from wiping them on the expensive dress. Biting my lip I turn to my escort, staring at her for some sort of rescue.

"I can't do this…" I moan, beginning to pace back and forth in my kitten heels.

"Yes you can darling, you will be fine!" she protests as she collects up a few supplies my stylist asked her to bring.

"No I'm not… they are going to make me watch myself killing innocent people and I have to just sit there smiling as if it is all okay!" I shout as I find a cloth and wipe the dampness from my hands.

"Be quiet!" she hushes gripping my wrists tightly, "Remember what I told you? You need to be very careful what you say before it gets you into trouble!" She moves away, rubbing her temples delicately.

"I know, I know, but it's hard when so much they do is so wrong!" I protest.

We are interrupted by a soft knock at the door, which appears to be a girl who can't be much older than me, hugging a clipboard to her chest. Although I know she is from the Capitol, she doesn't look fake or altered, she would probably fit well in District one. She meets my gaze and stares almost guiltily, not sure how to start.

"Sapphire! How nice to see you!" Wavell squeals, running over to the girl and greeting her with a tight hug, "Aria this is Sapphire, the head gamemakers daughter!"

Oh, that explains why she looked so awkward. Her Father was the maker of my hell for the past six days.

I'm not really sure what to do, awkwardly holding out my hand, "I'm Aria, nice to meet you."

She smiles awkwardly a faded blush on her cheeks and returns the handshake, "I know who you are… But still it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"So what is it you need?" Wavell asks.

She gestures to me, "I'm here to take Aria for the interview. Are you ready to go?"

I look pleadingly at Wavell who just waves me off like I have nothing to worry about. I plaster a fake smile on my face and take a deep breath, turning to Sapphire, "Yes, let's go."

Carefully trying not to trip up over my dress, I walk with Sapphire down the hall towards the stage. Once we've turned a corner and are away from any sign of people, she turns to me and sighs, "I'm really sorry for what my Father put you through."

Puzzled, I turn to her my eyebrow arched quizzically, "You're sorry? Wow I never thought I'd hear someone from the Capitol say that…"

Another sigh, "Believe me, I'm nothing like the people here…"

I want to ask more but we have already arrived backstage and my body goes weak when I see how many people are in the crowd. Was there that many at the last interviews?

Carlton is already entertaining the crowd, getting them worked up for my arrival. As he begins to hush the crowd, someone drags me forward to the edge of the curtain.

"Ladies and Gentleman of the Capitol put your hands together, for The Victor of the First Annual Hunger Games, from District Four, Aria Oreota!"

With a little nudge from behind I begin to cross the stage, my knees shaking nervously. The crowd of Capitolites scream excitedly, some waving and jumping around, others throwing flowers, I even see a few people collapse because they are so overwhelmed.

Putting on my winning smile I used for my first interview in the Capitol, I wave to the crowd, blowing kisses and mouthing 'thank you' to some who throw flowers. _I've never felt so fake in my life… this is going to be torture._

Carlton takes my hand and bows, kissing my knuckles lightly, "It is so delightful to be able to see you again!"

I wonder if he thought someone else would win. I guess it could be hard for him, having to meet and get to know these tributes and then see them die.

_What am I saying, he's said himself he loves the games, he would try to stop them if he cared that much._

"Believe me; I'm much more grateful than you are!" I joke causing loud chuckles from the audience.

It saddens me that they don't realise how I actually mean what I'm saying. I'm sure all the other tributes prayed to be sitting where I am right now.

Sitting down on a chair opposite Carlton, he waits for the crowd to quiet down before leaning forward and smiling eagerly, like I have a secret he wants to know, "So first of all congratulations, secondly, how does it feel to be the first ever victor!" he booms enthusiastically causing more cheers.

_This is going to be a long night._

Smiling I put my hand to my chest full of gratitude, "Thank you, I really did try to win this and obviously all that trying worked! I feel great, really, really happy!"

So many lies coming from my mouth, but maybe this is how it will have to be from now on. I can't exactly say 'I feel terrible because thanks to you cruel people I now have to live with the fact I'm a murderer!' … no I don't think that would go down too well.

The truth is they want to hear what they want to hear. If I was to tell them what I really think I'm sure they wouldn't listen because they think the games is this wonderful thing! They couldn't be more wrong…

"I must say you were amazing in there! We all know you had your ups and downs, who didn't right? But you got through it and you made it here now so well done!" another set of cheers, another cheesy smile from Carlton, is this what it is going to be like all night?

The next few hours are utter hell, and if I hadn't been in The Hunger Games I would say it was the worst time of my life. Carlton went on to ask me many questions about the games, which I either had to lie about, or try and change the subject because I really couldn't tell the truth.

It's hard to spend so much time talking about people who are most likely deep in the ground by now and even harder if it was because of you. However the Capitol found me amazing, fighting so hard to get home.

The weirdest thing was when Carlton brought up about me actually volunteering for the games, I wanted so much to go back in time and slap myself into realisation. Was I really so delusional? Why would I want to do this to myself? I suppose I didn't really know what I was getting into, and my father was rather pushy.

Wow it feels like years ago when I was in the justice building, saying goodbye to my family, telling Anita I would help her train when I got back, shouting at my father to stop his affair.

After talking for around an hour, I then had to sit for two more hours watching the 'best bits' of the games.

And let me tell you, I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone.

It started off okay; there were the chariot rides and some scenes of the tributes in training. I never realised how scared some people looked. Most of them just seemed so young and innocent… Then they highlighted my great training score, showed my interview and then we were into the games.

Really difficult. That's how it looked, and that's how it was to watch. All the deaths I saw, all the cannons I heard, were just more and more guilt and pain to add to my giant list of 'things I feel terrible about.'

What hurt the most was how happy the crowd looked, how ecstatic they were to see each death. At one point someone even said 'this was my favourite one' with a huge grin on their face, I had to try so hard not to dive onto them and scratch at their unnatural face with these claw-like fingernails. That would take that smirk off their face for sure.

I know I seem rather bipolar at the moment, one minute wanting to kill someone the next crying over someone I actually did kill, but there is a difference. For example, if the President threw me back into the arena with twenty three others from the Capitol, I'm not sure if I would hesitate so much over slamming a sharp blade threw one of their chests. No, that seems quite appealing actually.

When we got to see Kyran and Reina die, I almost ran straight off the stage. Once they had died, they zoomed straight onto my face. My torn, broken face which had just about had enough. I'm guessing I look a bit like that now, minus all the blood and dirt of course.

I never realised how bad I actually got, how I was so affected by everything. I finally realised how lucky I am to be alive, because maybe it would have taken one more death to just tip me over the edge, to make me give up on everything all together, taking the easy way out.

We're now on the final battle, and as I sit here in front of millions of people playing nervously with the soft material of my dress, all I can think about while watching is what if it was me? What if I was the one to fall off of that cliff and to leave Savannah here to face it all? Would she have dealt with it better?

It's too late to think of the consequences now, because we've finished watching the re-cap and Carlton is staring at me expectantly, but I'm too busy staring at the end shot of me on my knees, gripping the ground in shock.

The crowd probably find it a rather liberating picture, after all that fighting I've finally won.

Me… I see a scared girl who is tired of fighting and doesn't know what to do anymore.

"Aria darling you were fabulous tonight!" a random woman drunkenly shouts at me, passing a flute of champagne.

With a small shrug to the smiling woman, I tip the glass to my lips, letting the sparkling liquid slide down my throat. I wipe my mouth with the back of my arm and smirk, "Thanks, I needed that."

Someone tugs at my arm and I'm dragged away before I can take another glass of alcohol. Wavell stares at me with concern, "Do you really think you should be doing that?" she hisses in that motherly tone I'm starting to get sick of.

"Listen Wavell," I slur slightly, "I've had a hard night, actually make that a hard few weeks! So please just for one night will you let me enjoy this _fabulous_ party and I promise I will be perfectly sober for whatever you have planned for me tomorrow."

"Well actually tomorrow you're going back to your district, so please try and behave yourself a bit!" she exclaims.

My stomach turns at the thought and for a second I feel today's breakfast might show another appearance. That mean I'll be seeing my family again… it's been so long… well it's felt like it… Will they even recognise me anymore?

With a small hiccup I place my hand over my heart, the fast beat pounding against my palm, "I promise, but only if you try and enjoy yourself just a little bit…"

She smiles raising a perfectly arched eyebrow, "Ok I will try, but please don't be stupid…"

I waltz off before I can here anymore, as some more people start to come over to congratulate me, gushing how amazing I am.

If this is what it is going to be like all night, I'm going to need another drink.

As if they can read my mind, a pair of large hands pass me a small glass of an expensive looking beverage. I'm not even that keen on alcohol, but I still gulp down the mouthful, licking the remains from my lips.

Almost forgetting someone actually gave me the drink, I look up to find the President staring at me with… wait is that a smile?

"Sir… what have I done to deserve your gracious company?" I curtsy while trying not to slur my words, which I think I pretty much failed at.

"What has happened to my Victor?" he laughs.

The sound of the alien laughter echoes through my head. It feels like the laugh is fake, or that there is more behind this friendly behaviour.

"Then again," he whispers evilly in my ear, "I must say I sort of like it…"

I shudder taking a step away from him, not liking his sudden cosines.

Taking my arm roughly he pulls me towards him holding me tight so I can't get away. He holds me like we are embracing each other, so wandering eyes would not see his true behaviour.

The familiar smell of strong liquor fills my nostrils as he spits words into my ears, "Listen, remember what I said about not being a problem? Well here's your time to shine…"

Before I can even question what he is talking about, another man from the Capitol is joining us, a pleased smirk across his face.

"Aria, I would like you to meet Pierre, he will be the head gamemaker of next year's games and is also a very good friend of mine, and hopefully soon a very good friend of yours too…" The president sneers at me giving a small wink.

The man known as Pierre takes my hand and kisses it lightly. I quickly drag it away, finding his lips horribly cold. He is a very lanky man, his face thin and angular. He looks me over with hungry, red eyes, licking his lips satisfied with what he sees.

"Nice to…um… be acquainted with you," I reply shakily, not sure what the Presidents intentions are.

He gives me another look over, and I feel bile rise in my throat as his grimy hands stroke my face, "Oh, I feel it is the other way round, you are ever so beautiful."

Heat rises in my cheeks, my voice coming out in a nervous whisper, "Thank you…Now I'm afraid I must go find…"

My excuse is interrupted as the President drags me back, his eyes staring harshly, "No Aria that would be awfully rude now wouldn't it, I'd like you to spend some time with Pierre, show him… a good time."

Before I can refuse he strolls off, leaving me alone with Pierre. He takes my arm, leading me off into the crowd whispering sweet words which burn my ears. I think about politely refusing him and walking away, until another sparkling drink is handed to me, a note attached.

Frowning I unfold the piece of paper, struggling to read the writing with my blurred vision,

_Do whatever he wants, and remember what we agreed. We wouldn't want someone to get hurt now would we? _

Biting my lip to stop myself from crying, I crumple up the piece of paper in my hand and drop it to the ground beside me.

Pierre leans towards me and speaks in a low whisper, "Let's go somewhere a bit more…private."

He takes my arm just as I finish downing my drink and drags me away from the party. As we walk past the bar, I take a large bottle in my hand; I swig some of the contents and gulp down the bitter liquid, keeping it with me hoping it will help me forget the next few hours.

As I leave the room and take another mouthful of drink, I wonder if I'll only ever be just something for the Capitol's entertainment.

Staring out the window of the train, I rub my head in agony regretting the excessive drinking from the night before and try and block out Wavell's constant lecture on 'why I should always listen to her.'

She's asked me many times why did I get into such a state, but I couldn't give her an answer. Why would I want to relive last night?

She found me late in the evening, stumbling around uttering nonsense, my hair ruined, my make-up smudged all over my face and my dress a mess. Then apparently she asked me what the hell happened to me and I responded by puking all over her new shoes.

Yeah… I'm not really her favourite person right now.

"You're not even listening to me are you…" she sighs, appearing next to me at the window.

"Honestly, no… I've got other things on my mind…"

"I wish you would just tell me what happened…"

"Stop!" I shout, "I've told you I don't remember so just leave it!"

"Fine, but if you decide you want to tell me something you know where I'll be…" she replies, "Look we've arrived," she smiles pointing out of the window at the busy train station.

Anxiously I head towards the door and await the sliding doors. When they finally open I gasp at the loud cheering, the shock of how happy my District is to see me.

Stepping out onto the platform I'm taken aback by the crowd of people running towards me, enveloping me in hugs and shouting 'well done.'

Before hardly anyone knew me, I was the quiet girl who sat in the corner who kept to herself. Now the whole District is screaming my name, and I find it hard to believe how so much has changed.

Someone grabs me and pulls me into a tight squeeze, their strong, familiar smelling perfume putting me at ease.

"Mum?" I cry.

"Aria! Oh honey I've missed you so much!" she gasps tears streaming down her face.

"I've missed you too! Where's Dad?" I ask, looking round the group of people.

"I'm here! Congratulations Aria!" he chuckles wrapping me in his arms, "I knew you could do it!"

"Where's Anita?" I ask, searching for my little sister.

"She's waiting at home, come on let's get out of here," my Father replies.

Shortly after a quick speech to my District about my victory we arrive home, and when I see Anita I run towards her, gripping her tightly.

"You were amazing!" she starts, "I hope I'll be as good as you when it's my turn!"

Gripping her arm I look at her confused, "What?"

"You know, you promised you would help me train for when it's my games! You know so I can win like you!" her face drops when she sees my expression, "What's wrong?"

Disgusted, I hold her even tighter, "You are never going into them games, do you understand? Never! I will not let you go through that like I did!"

Everyone stares at me as I let go of a surprised Anita who is rubbing her arms where I held her too hard.

Sick of so many eyes being on me I push open the door to my house and run into the kitchen, searching for something to make me feel better. I snatch up a bottle and run upstairs to my room slamming the door behind me. Unscrewing the bottle, I lean against the wall and slide to the floor, taking a relieving drink.

I can't let my sister go through what I have, I can't watch her turn into the mess I've become.

I am Aria Oreota, eighteen years old, from District Four.

A week ago, I went into The Hunger Games with twenty three others.

I was made to kill innocent people, others tried to kill me, and we all just wanted one thing, to win.

I've been used, broken and hurt, both physically and mentally.

And now, I am The Victor of The First Annual Hunger Games.

But the truth is I'm just like the twenty three others.

I tried my hardest, fought for my life and yet I still lost.

Because being The Victor doesn't mean you've won.

No, you might as well be dead and buried with the others.

Because the truth is you'll never actually win.

I am Aria Oreota, The Victor of The First Annual Hunger Games.

But my battle is far from over.

And I have a feeling however hard I try…

I'll never really win.

* * *

There you go, The Victor of The First Annual Hunger Games... Aria Oreota!

Believe me it was a tough choice, but I decided Aria would be a great victor to write about.

It's really sad that after around a year this story is over, but it really has been great writing the story!

I'm afraid I don't think I'll be doing a sequel, as the next year is really important for me in school and I feel like I need to concentrate on that and the fact I also won't have enough time to actually try and write more.

But anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read the story and for all the great reviews!

I've really loved writing this story, and I'm sure if had the time I would love to coninue it.

Thank You For Reading! -DeepInTheMeadowIWriteStories 


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